Szefer studies computer architecture and hardware security, including the security of quantum computing systems. His work examines information that may leak through the conventional electronics controlling quantum processors.
Northwestern UniversityACM CCS 2023 / authors’ repositoryWith Chuanqi Xu and Ferhat Erata, Szefer studied how modeled power traces from quantum-control pulses could reveal circuit information. His focus on protecting quantum computers and their users is distinct from post-quantum cryptography, which protects conventional cryptographic systems against quantum attacks. He also founded the Quantum Computer Cybersecurity Symposium.
ACM CCS 2023 / authors’ repositoryNorthwestern UniversityDefining contributions
Work, in context- 2023
Power side-channel vulnerabilities in quantum controllers
Xu, Erata and Szefer investigated potential information leakage from classical controllers for superconducting quantum computers. Their 2023 CCS paper modeled power traces using IBM control-pulse data and evaluated circuit identification and reconstruction of non-virtual gates under specified attacker-access assumptions.
Joint research by Chuanqi Xu, Ferhat Erata and Jakub Szefer; simulated power traces derived from control-pulse information, not a reported physical intrusion into a production service.
Source-supported recordACM CCS 2023 / authors’ repository
Keep in perspective
The controller study uses simplified modeled power traces and assumes an attacker with physical access to control electronics. It does not demonstrate a remote attack by one cloud user on another, and its reconstruction results exclude virtual gates.
The evidence map
Both views link each contribution to its sources. Choose a contribution on the map or read them all in the list.
Power side-channel vulnerabilities in quantum controllers
Exploration of Power Side-Channel Vulnerabilities in Quantum Computer Controllers
Supports: Authors and CCS 2023; abstract, sections 3, 4.1, 5.6, 7 and 8 inspected. DOI 10.1145/3576915.3623118.
Checked 11 Nov 2026Credit & limits: Joint research by Chuanqi Xu, Ferhat Erata and Jakub Szefer; simulated power traces derived from control-pulse information, not a reported physical intrusion into a production service.
Read the full contribution| Contribution | Evidence & what it supports | Credit & limits |
|---|---|---|
| Power side-channel vulnerabilities in quantum controllers2023 | Primary paperExploration of Power Side-Channel Vulnerabilities in Quantum Computer Controllers Authors and CCS 2023; abstract, sections 3, 4.1, 5.6, 7 and 8 inspected. DOI 10.1145/3576915.3623118. Checked 11 Nov 2026 | Joint research by Chuanqi Xu, Ferhat Erata and Jakub Szefer; simulated power traces derived from control-pulse information, not a reported physical intrusion into a production service. |
Follow the evidence
3 sourcesPrimary papers, institutional records and attributed announcements. Each source supports the claims linked above.
- Northwestern UniversityInstitutional record
Jakub Szefer
Current associate-professor role, CASLAB leadership and research interests in architecture, hardware security, post-quantum cryptographic accelerators and quantum computing systems.
Checked 11 Nov 2026 - ACM CCS 2023 / authors’ repositoryPrimary paper
Exploration of Power Side-Channel Vulnerabilities in Quantum Computer Controllers
Authors and CCS 2023; abstract, sections 3, 4.1, 5.6, 7 and 8 inspected. DOI 10.1145/3576915.3623118.
Checked 11 Nov 2026 - Northwestern UniversityInstitutional record
Bringing Quantum Computer Cybersecurity Research to Northwestern
January 2025 move from Yale, symposium founding and distinction between quantum-computer security and post-quantum cryptography.
Published 17 Dec 2025 · Checked 11 Nov 2026