Quantum Leap: Securing Tomorrow’s Internet Against Today’s Unsung Threats

At a glance

• Large quantum computers would break much of the public-key cryptography in use today.
• Post-quantum cryptography is designed to stay secure even against quantum attacks.
• NIST and other bodies are standardizing quantum-resistant algorithms.
• Tech companies and researchers are working together on the migration.

Why quantum computers threaten encryption

Quantum computers could solve some problems that are out of reach for classical machines. That includes the math behind RSA and ECC, the public-key algorithms that protect online banking and most web traffic. A large enough quantum computer could break them. None exists yet. But encrypted data stolen today could be stored and decrypted years from now, so the risk starts before the machines arrive.

What post-quantum cryptography offers

Post-quantum cryptography uses math problems that quantum computers are not known to solve efficiently. The goal is to move systems to these algorithms before quantum machines can break current defenses. Migration takes years, so the work has to start early.

NIST leads the standards work

Governments and companies around the world are working on quantum-resistant cryptography. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has led a multi-round evaluation process to choose the new algorithms. In August 2024 it published its first three post-quantum standards (FIPS 203 through 205). In March 2025 it selected HQC as a backup algorithm for general encryption.

Years of joint work

NIST’s competition drew cryptographers and tech companies from many countries. Submissions were attacked in public for years, and several were broken along the way. That scrutiny is the point. The algorithms that survived are the ones trusted to protect data against quantum attacks.

Who is involved

IBM is investing in quantum research. So are Google and Microsoft. They are building quantum computers and also working to make quantum-safe cryptography easy to adopt. Universities and research labs are partners in that work.

What cryptographers say

Cryptographers have argued for years that the move to post-quantum algorithms should start well before a working quantum computer appears, because migrations take a long time.

Preparing for the switch

The move to post-quantum cryptography will need industries and governments to coordinate. Security teams should start by finding every place their systems use RSA or ECC, and by asking vendors when their products will support the new NIST standards.

A chance to clean up

The migration is a big job. It is also a chance to replace old cryptography that should have been retired anyway. Organizations that build an inventory now will move faster when deadlines arrive.

Start with the data that must stay secret the longest. Medical records and state secrets are already exposed to “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks.

Fred Templeton, CISA, CASP, SEC+

Fred Templeton is a practicing Information Systems Auditor in the Washington DC area. Fred works as a government contractor and uses his skills in cyber security to make our country's information systems safer from cyber threats. Fred holds a master's degree in cybersecurity and is currently working on his PHD in Information Systems.