Quantum computing poses a direct threat to traditional encryption standards
Today’s encryption, RSA and ECC, is built on math problems that are easy to check if you have the key, but nearly impossible to reverse if you don’t. These systems have held up because even our fastest supercomputers can’t factor massive numbers or solve elliptic curves within any practical timeframe. They’d need millions of years. That’s why the internet, banking systems, and digital commerce all rely on them.
But quantum computing changes the rules. With Shor’s algorithm, a quantum algorithm, a sufficiently powerful quantum machine doesn’t need millions of years. Instead of taking centuries, it could break encryption in hours or even minutes. That machine doesn’t exist yet. But the direction is clear, research is moving fast, investment is serious, and the breakthroughs are adding up.
Here’s why this matters now. Encrypted data, communication logs, IP filings, legal records, is already being captured and stored by adversaries. They don’t need to crack it today. They’ll hold it, and once quantum systems catch up, they’ll decrypt everything. It’s what security leaders call “harvest now, decrypt later.” That’s not speculation, it’s happening.
C-suite leaders need to understand that the moment quantum computers are powerful enough, whether that’s 10 years or 5 years, any data encrypted with RSA or ECC becomes an open book. And the data you’re protecting probably needs to stay secure well beyond that timeline.
Post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms present a promising solution to mitigate quantum risks
Cryptographers have been working on next-generation encryption that can resist attacks from quantum machines. These are called post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, or PQC. Unlike RSA or ECC, they’re based on mathematical problems that remain hard, not just for today’s computers, but for tomorrow’s quantum ones, too.
In 2022, NIST, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, took a major step by selecting a new group of post-quantum encryption algorithms for standardization. Among them, lattice-based protocols like CRYSTALS-Kyber (for encryption) and CRYSTALS-Dilithium (for digital signatures) are front-runners. These aren’t theoretical fixes. They’re being vetted for real-world use today.
But transitioning large systems isn’t simple. Most enterprise infrastructure still runs legacy code built on RSA or ECC. Replacing those layers without breaking production systems takes a structured rollout: testing old dependencies, validating performance and compliance, and aligning with global standards that are still evolving.
This requires leadership. It’s easy to wait. It feels like there’s no immediate pressure. But this transition will take years, and the competitive risk of delay is real. Data with long shelf-life, patents, pricing strategies, M&A negotiations, is already vulnerable under “harvest now, decrypt later” modeling.
If you lead IT or security in a company that deals in high-value data, this should already be on your roadmap. You don’t get to retrofit your cryptography stack after the breach. The question is: how long are you planning to protect your data?
Quantum key distribution (QKD) offers a fundamentally secure method for future communication channels
Let’s shift focus from defense to offense. Quantum technology won’t just break old encryption, it can also build new secure systems that are fundamentally different. One of the most promising is quantum key distribution, or QKD. It uses photons, essentially particles of light, to transmit encryption keys between two parties. The method matters because it’s designed around quantum physics. If anyone tries to intercept the key, the act of observing it changes its state, and the sender and receiver know it instantly.
You don’t need to understand quantum theory in depth to grasp this: QKD makes undetectable interception virtually impossible under physical laws. This makes it one of the strongest ways to secure highly sensitive communications.
China is already demonstrating real-world progress. In 2016, they launched the Micius satellite, the first of its kind, to enable satellite-based QKD, and it worked. The technology securely exchanged encryption keys between ground stations thousands of kilometers apart. That’s more than research, it’s geopolitical positioning. It tells us that quantum-secure communication is both technologically and strategically viable.
That said, let’s be realistic. QKD isn’t broadly usable for enterprises yet. It requires specialized hardware, including photon detectors and stable, low-loss transmission channels, whether through satellite or fiber infrastructure. Deployment is currently limited to a few hundred kilometers over fiber or extremely expensive satellite links. It’s not something most companies can plug in next quarter.
But if your business handles data that absolutely must be protected for decades, high-trust finance, healthcare records, defense systems, exploring QKD now makes sense. Early-stage pilots can help identify where this tech fits in your security roadmap. It’s not mainstream yet, but it’s further along than most expect, and relevant if long-term confidentiality matters to you.
Immediate preparation and strategic planning are essential for enterprises facing the quantum computing revolution
Quantum computing isn’t tomorrow’s issue. It’s already influencing long-cycle decisions today. CEOs, CIOs, and CISOs should be treating this as a board-level priority, not a downstream IT problem. The infrastructure built today, or left unchanged, will determine how secure your data is five, ten, or fifteen years from now.
Step one: audit your cryptographic deployments, every system, every cloud connection, every piece of infrastructure, and identify where RSA or ECC are still in use. Step two: assess which of those systems protect data that needs to remain secure long term. That’s the target surface for quantum risk.
From there, start evaluating post-quantum cryptography in controlled environments. Apply PQC where the operational impact is low but the risk is high, think intellectual property systems, legal archives, encrypted customer records. Parallel to that, keep tracking NIST developments to ensure whatever you adopt won’t be obsolete next year. The standards are moving quickly.
Another lever: educate your internal leadership. This is not a niche IT threat, it’s a risk to competitive advantage, M&A strategy, and public trust. Forward-looking companies are already joining consortia, working with academic partners, and funding early innovation projects in PQC and QKD. We’re not waiting for the problem. We’re evolving with it.
The final piece is structure. You need a roadmap. The transition won’t be solved with a one-off upgrade. You’ll need budget cycles, talent acquisition, integration testing, and vendor compliance changes. All of that takes planning. If you start late, you finish too late.
If you’ve got high-value data, and it’s likely you do, quantum planning is no longer optional. The companies preparing now will be in control when the disruption happens. The ones waiting will be reacting.
The uncertainty of quantum computing’s timeline stresses the urgency of proactive security investments.
Let’s address the part most executives get stuck on, the timeline. You’ll hear estimates all over the place: some say quantum computers capable of breaking RSA encryption are two decades out; others think it’s closer to ten years. A few experts argue it could happen even sooner depending on breakthroughs in qubit stability and error correction.
The detail that matters isn’t which prediction is accurate. It’s that no one disputes quantum capability is coming. And once those systems hit the threshold, the security models most companies rely on today will break fast, silently and comprehensively.
This turns today’s uncertainty into a strategic risk. Encrypted data that’s stored today, pricing models, product IP, executive communications, can be harvested by threat actors now, and decrypted later without warning. We know hostile nation-states and competitors are already building capabilities around this. They’re not waiting.
So the strategic cost isn’t just failing to protect future data. It’s losing control over the data you’re already securing poorly under legacy encryption.
C-suite leaders need to take the ambiguity seriously. Quantum risk is not a theoretical talking point for security conferences. It’s a structural threat to long-term confidentiality and trust. If your current model depends on encryption lasting longer than a decade, quantum computing is your problem today.
Your timing doesn’t need to be perfect, but your preparation must be early. Quantum-capable organizations are already screening vendors for PQC-readiness, testing hybrid deployments, and investing in awareness for internal teams. These aren’t extraordinary measures. They’re pragmatic steps with high defensive return.
Waiting to act means you’re betting against physics, math, and competitive pressure. That’s not the right risk posture if you’re managing data that matters. The most informed move for leaders is to accept the uncertainty, and act anyway.
Key executive takeaways
- Quantum computing breaks legacy encryption: RSA and ECC encryption will be rendered obsolete by quantum systems running Shor’s algorithm. Leaders should begin phasing out encryption reliant on these methods to avoid exposure of long-term sensitive data.
- Post-quantum cryptography is ready for transition: Algorithms like CRYSTALS-Kyber and Dilithium are already being standardized by NIST. Executives should prioritize evaluating and testing these quantum-resistant protocols within key systems.
- QKD offers unmatched security for high-value data: Quantum key distribution can detect breaches during transmission, offering near-impenetrable protection. While not yet scalable, leaders in finance, defense, and healthcare should explore pilot implementations for data requiring decades-long confidentiality.
- Preparation must start now for complex upgrades: The shift to quantum-safe infrastructure requires audits, technical migrations, and multi-year planning. CISOs need support from leadership to secure budgets, drive vendor compliance, and upskill teams for PQC deployment.
- Quantum timelines are uncertain but the threat is real: The moment of quantum decryption breaking current standards is unpredictable, possibly within the next decade. Forward-looking organizations should invest now in quantum-readiness to reduce long-term risk and stay competitive.
