Quantum computing presents both opportunities and risks
Quantum computing isn’t theory anymore. Google’s latest quantum chip, released in December 2024, is proof of how far we’ve come. IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon are already deep in the race. They’re not doing it to experiment, they see something real and powerful here. Quantum shifts the rules for what’s possible in computing. It opens up doors for drug development, advanced climate modeling, and financial simulations that today’s machines can’t handle.
But here’s the other side of it. This horsepower also threatens our current security systems. Think of the encryption most companies rely on, SSL, asymmetric cryptography, anything that protects comms, transactions, customer data, and internal files. Quantum can break all of it. Not in theory, eventually in practice. Encryption that takes decades to crack now might take minutes with a quantum machine. That’s not just an IT problem. That’s a business continuity problem. And no executive should ignore it.
This isn’t about overreacting. It’s about understanding the scale of both the opportunity and the threat. Quantum will be a driver of innovation just as much as it will be a new front in digital risk. Companies that act early can win on both sides, protecting infrastructure while gaining first-mover edge in quantum-led innovation.
Gartner expects asymmetric encryption to be unsafe by 2029 and completely breakable by 2034. That gives us a very short window to get ahead. If your business depends on digital trust, and most do, then this timeline matters. Push things forward, or be forced to catch up later under pressure.
Quantum threats are catalyzing immediate responses
Cybercriminals won’t wait around for quantum to mature. They’ve already started. The strategy getting traction across multiple nations is called “harvest now, decrypt later.” It’s simple. They copy encrypted data today, store it, and plan to break the encryption once quantum machines are ready. That means stolen data doesn’t have to be useful today to be valuable in five years. They’re thinking long-term because the technology is moving fast.
This is already changing the conversation in security teams. Leading organizations and governments are moving to defense. One major initiative comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which began developing quantum-resistant encryption over a decade ago. Last year, they finalized three standards for immediate use. These algorithms aren’t just theoretical, they’re meant to secure real infrastructure now.
The shift from traditional to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is in motion. But most companies still haven’t fully realized what this means for their networks, SaaS platforms, and cloud environments. The threat is evolving. If quantum gets real before you modernize your encryption, your systems may eventually hand over their secrets.
This is about strategic alignment. Leaders can’t think of cybersecurity as just compliance. It’s part of your future risk model. Companies that lock in long-term protections now avoid being exposed when quantum breaches hit. This level of planning is no longer optional, it’s just smart business.
NIST’s move to finalize three PQC encryption standards in 2023 is a clear signal to act. It’s late in the game to say, “Let’s wait and see.” Quantum isn’t coming. It’s already pushing the boundaries of both offense and defense in global cybersecurity.
Organizations prepare for a quantum future
Cryptography isn’t some back-end box checked in a security audit. It’s everywhere, password protection, encrypted emails, HTTPS, VPNs, file storage, disk encryption, internal certificates. Most executives don’t realize how deeply embedded it is in operations. And that’s the issue. You can’t secure what you don’t see. The first step in preparing for quantum is knowing where your cryptographic dependencies are. Take inventory. Map it out completely. The blind spots are what create long-term risk.
Once you have a baseline, you know which systems need upgrades to quantum-resistant standards. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) will require different algorithms, and they’ll need to perform reliably at scale. Not everything will be a clean replacement. Some systems are hardwired with legacy cryptography, and updates will take real work. Don’t underestimate the effort, or the reward. Organizations that start early stay ahead of disruption when quantum becomes mission-critical.
This isn’t a purely technical task, it ties directly to operational resilience. C-suite leaders should be asking teams how cryptography is used across workflows, customer interfaces, APIs, and partner systems. If there’s no clear answer, that’s the warning signal.
One important note here, NIST isn’t theorizing. It’s real action. Their recently finalized post-quantum standards are live, built for implementation, and backed by years of testing. Companies like Akamai have already contributed to these standards.
Dr. Tom Leighton, co-founder and CEO of Akamai, helped develop a digital signature algorithm now recommended by NIST. His work directly supports building the defenses enterprises will need to survive and compete in a future where encryption is under quantum pressure. The blueprint is already in place. Organizations just need to execute on it.
Upgrading security protocols is essential for quantum readiness
Not all encryption runs deep in your architecture. Sometimes it’s your internet-facing protocols, what your customers and partners interact with daily. Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a key example. Used to secure web traffic, it’s the foundation for trust in digital transactions. TLS 1.3 is built to support quantum-resistant algorithms. It was released in 2018, but a surprising number of organizations are still running TLS 1.2 or older. That’s a risk.
Staying on outdated protocols increases exposure. Cyberattacks don’t wait for legacy systems to catch up. And once quantum reaches threshold capability, well within the range Gartner has projected, older versions will be instantly vulnerable. Upgrading to TLS 1.3 isn’t just about speed or performance. It’s about closing a critical gap before it becomes a weakness.
If you’re serving modern users, security can’t remain version-locked because of inertia or short-term cost avoidance. These transitions often take time, so businesses need to start now, especially at scale. Web infrastructure, APIs, CDNs, and internal endpoints all have to align. It’s not plug-and-play, but it’s completely doable with the right roadmap.
Akamai, a leading content delivery and cybersecurity provider, reports that more than 80% of online traffic today runs on TLS 1.3. That’s a strong start. But it also means nearly one in five connections are still exposed. That margin carries too much risk. Don’t be in that 20%. The cost of not securing comms at the protocol level will far outweigh the short-term cost of implementation.
If you’re thinking ahead, and you should be, upgrading critical standards like TLS is a baseline move. It’s also a signal to your team and customers that you understand where the world is going and that your systems will be ready.
Quantum computing will revolutionize industries
Quantum computing is pushing computation into a new class, one that classical systems fundamentally can’t reach. This changes what’s possible with large-scale data. Processing that once took days or weeks could get compressed into hours or minutes. Early applications show strong promise in portfolio optimization, real-time financial risk analysis, and fraud detection. That’s not speculation. It’s happening in simulations and early-stage deployments right now.
In financial services, quantum systems can rapidly evaluate millions of variables and asset combinations. That means better investment decisions, made faster. In fraud detection, quantum machine learning can identify patterns buried deep inside massive datasets, data that traditional systems either ignore or fail to parse in time. And in climate modeling, quantum techniques can explore more variables and feedback loops simultaneously, supporting advanced work around carbon capture, prediction of climate outcomes, and resource planning.
Healthcare also stands to benefit. Drug discovery, diagnostics, and patient behavior modeling all require computing power beyond classical limits. Quantum can bridge that gap by handling higher-dimensional data and simulating chemical interactions at greater scale and speed. These are not far-future scenarios. The algorithms are being tested today.
Most organizations still see quantum as niche. That’s a mistake. Understanding its value now gives you an edge when it goes mainstream. Access to more advanced problem-solving tools means a competitive advantage in decision-making, forecasting, and innovation.
Current research shows that quantum-enhanced simulations reduce the number of iterations needed to generate accurate results. In fields that rely on modeling, such as finance or environmental science, this improves both speed and accuracy. That’s real operational impact, faster results, better decisions, and more confidence in execution.
Preparing IT infrastructure and developing quantum expertise
Quantum computing doesn’t run on yesterday’s infrastructure. It introduces non-linear systems, quantum data structures, and different principles for logic, all of which require specific architecture updates and new layers of system abstraction. It won’t replace classical systems outright, but integration will take preparation. That includes rethinking pipelines, upgrading tooling, and enabling hybrid architectures.
The first move is people. Companies need internal talent that understands quantum mechanics, quantum algorithms, and their intersection with enterprise systems. Hiring this talent now, and upskilling teams where possible, establishes muscle memory. You don’t need to go all-in on research roles. But you do need people who understand how to run pilot programs, contribute to quantum-readiness planning, or evaluate vendor solutions.
Partnering also matters. Building relationships with academic institutions, research labs, and quantum startups offers early exposure to the tools and trends moving the field forward. These partnerships build credibility and increase speed of adoption when you’re ready to shift from experimentation to production.
Many enterprises are applying similar frameworks to AI right now, workshops, internal bootcamps, and exploratory projects. Quantum deserves the same treatment. The workflows are different, but the urgency is similar. Decision-makers who wait until the field is “mature” will find themselves rebuilding teams and systems from scratch while competitors move ahead.
This isn’t about hype. It’s about positioning. Quantum-native organizations will outperform in sectors where optimization, prediction, and large-scale computation create product or cost advantages. Getting your infrastructure and teams in motion now sets your organization up to lead, not follow.
Early experimentation with quantum computing is key
Waiting for quantum computing to become “standard” before engaging with it is the wrong strategy. When the technology matures enough for mass adoption, organizations that haven’t already tested, experimented, and learned its core capabilities will fall behind. The transition to quantum-influenced operations won’t happen in a single deployment. It will be phased, complex, and require internal familiarity that comes only through trial and incremental use.
Start with small pilot projects. Give technical teams hands-on access to quantum development environments available through cloud platforms or partnerships. Focus on real use cases, data modeling, routing optimization, multi-variable simulations, whatever correlates to your business objectives. Even limited exposure to quantum circuits, algorithm structure, and process integration can inform future planning in a significant way.
Industry sectors with heavy data environments will draw early advantages. In healthcare, early-stage applications of quantum computing are already being explored for improving drug discovery models and increasing diagnostic accuracy. These depend on the ability to analyze massive, complex datasets in ways that classical systems can’t. Likewise, predictive analytics in logistics, manufacturing, and energy will benefit from early interaction with quantum-enhanced modeling tools.
What matters at the executive level is this: if you don’t start now, you lose the agility to move when the ecosystem is ready. Quantum computing will not integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructure by default. It will demand staff who understand the operational shifts, leaders who’ve already seen what the tools are capable of, and roadmaps influenced by internal insights, not assumptions.
Early experimentation forces your teams to build technical intuition. It installs adaptability in your organization. The datasets are already here. The opportunity is already here. Access to early tools through vendors, cloud platforms, and partners is already here. There’s no real barrier, just hesitation.
Moving even modest resources into quantum R&D today increases your readiness curve. It reduces your cost of adaption. It installs forward momentum. Most importantly, it signals to your teams and your market that you’re positioning for the next era, not reacting to it after the fact.
The bottom line
Quantum computing isn’t hype. It’s already shifting how we think about security, data, and computational power. The impact won’t be limited to R&D labs or academic institutions, it will reach every enterprise system, every encrypted transaction, and every decision driven by complex data.
For business leaders, this isn’t about chasing headlines. It’s about preparing infrastructure, people, and strategy for what’s next. The risks are real, but avoidable. The opportunities are massive, but only for those who engage early.
Start with visibility, map where encryption lives in your stack. Get serious about upgrading to quantum-resistant standards. Invest in pilot programs. Upskill your teams. Build partnerships with tech leaders doing the groundwork now.
Quantum will introduce new leaders and leave others behind. Staying still won’t protect your business. Moving now will.
