Start implementing post-quantum cryptography to prepare for the quantum computing future of cybersecurity.
But as with any breakthrough tech, it’s not just the good guys getting excited. Bad actors are watching too, because quantum computers also threaten to tear through the encryption that underpins today’s internet.
Most modern encryption relies on asymmetric algorithms for exchanging session keys, counting on the impracticality of factoring the product of two very large prime numbers in reasonable time with classical computers. The largest quantum computers today consist of 1,000 qubits and are stable for only one to two milliseconds. These present no risk to Rivest-Shamir-Adleman and elyptic curve cryptography , the most common algorithms for key exchange. But a quantum computer with around 20 million stable but noisy physical qubits could break these key exchange algorithms in about eight hours, , which allows a qubit to be a 0, a 1 or both at once. An alternate approach with better error correction requires only 1.7 million stable physical qubits but must run for 230 days.Harvesting Everything The attackers’ approach is known as harvest now, decrypt later —and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Dear reader, you should assume that everything you put on the internet is being eavesdropped on. Attackers are intercepting and storing it now, even if it’s encrypted, hoping that in a few years they’ll be able to decrypt it effortlessly. Many in the industry, including me, think we’re perhaps six to eight years away from a sufficiently large and stable quantum computer. Once that happens, everything those attackers have stashed away becomes fair game—and the consequences could be devastating. In this piece, I’ll explain why you should respond by prioritizing post-quantum cryptography . I’ll also share some practical steps to help ensure you’re getting ready for the quantum future.We’re starting to see the next generation of encryption tools based on three quantum-safe algorithms approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and designed to resist attacks via quantum computers. PQC is built on different kinds of hard problems—ones that even quantum machines struggle with. However, implementing quantum-safe algorithms is neither a one-and-done security upgrade nor an overnight switch. That’s why you must first build up your cryptographic agility. Cryptographic agility means being able to switch out your encryption methods quickly and safely as new threats emerge, without breaking your systems or your budget. It’s a mind shift from “lock and forget.” As existing and forthcoming PQC algorithms begin appearing in products, defaults will evolve and threats will shift. If you haven’t started building your agility by then, you might get caught flat-footed. Every chief technology officer, chief information officer and chief information security officer needs to begin mapping their digital infrastructure now and ask: Where exactly are we using encryption that could be at risk?As a rule of thumb, focus first on data traveling outside your organization’s walls. Attackers looking to harvest now, decrypt later aim for data in motion—across the open internet, between services and into the cloud. Data that stays within a well-defended network tends to carry less risk . With external data flows being your biggest quantum exposure, this is where you should begin asking the tough questions—both internally and with your vendors.Microservices often talk over channels encrypted today with traditional methods. These links will need quantum-safe protection.TLS handshakes will need PQC to keep encrypted traffic inspection secure.Login handshakes and key exchanges must be reworked for post-quantum resilience.Unencrypted metadata can leak insights—even if the data itself is secure.Stored configuration files and policies are rich targets. Without PQC, they’re exposed. Improving your cryptographic agility goes far beyond files and folders. It’s about preserving the integrity of every handshake, header and hidden dependency in your stack. If data touches it, moves through it or lives in it, it needs to be reviewed through a quantum lens.For businesses betting big on AI and data, quantum resilience will be key. Data can power growth only if it remains secure, compliant and trusted over time. PQC is about readiness, not just defense. It signals that you understand what’s coming and that you’re preparing to thrive in these new conditions. The last thing you want is for your competitors to guarantee long-term data integrity while you can’t.NIST finalized its first set of PQC standards . Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism , the default standard for key exchange, will supplant RSA and ECC for future-proofing TLS encryption. But readiness isn’t just about what you build internally; it’s also about what you rely on externally. It’s vital to engage with vendors and cloud partners that are keeping pace with quantum-safe standards. A good vendor will:• Be transparent about their timeline for implementing post-quantum readiness. • Offer sandbox environments for testing PQC performance and compatibility without breaking your production stack. • Make switching easy—no full-stack rewrites, no painful migrations. Just flip the switch when the time is right.Now’s the time to take a hard look at your internal cryptographic landscape. Audit where encryption actually exists across your organization—and remember that vulnerabilities often live in the gaps. Start embedding quantum-safe algorithms into your core security thinking as a guiding principle. Externally, hold your vendors accountable. Ask not just whether they support post-quantum standards, but how and when they plan to operationalize them. Once quantum computing crosses the line from potential to present, you won’t get a second shot at protecting the data that’s already been exposed.
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