62 VIEWPOINT Organisations must invest in quantum-safe crypto algorithms to protect the security of their digital infrastructure SAMANTHA MABEY: ENTRUST Navigating the postquantum threat Quantum computers can solve certain kinds of basic problems more quickly than a classic computer, and as they continue to advance, this will bring a lot of opportunity for things like medical research and data modelling. But they will also be able to break today’s public key cryptographic systems, which form the basis of securing sensitive data. While the quantum computers available today aren’t of sufficient size for this threat to become a reality yet, the technology is steadily progressing and advancing. Global funding to advance quantum computing technology appears to be at an all-time high, with some of the wealthiest nations and largest organisations leading the development effort. This level of commitment means the quantum threat is not a question of if, but when, one will be powerful enough to compromise the security of our digital infrastructure. What can we do to prevent this? The answer is simple: we need to move today’s cryptographic systems to new quantum-safe crypto algorithms. However, that isn’t easy to do. It’s a complex task and will touch almost every piece of digital infrastructure and data that we rely on today. Recently we have seen some guidance from governments that require businesses to start preparing for the post-quantum threat now. That “The quantum threat is not a question of if, but when, one will be powerful enough to compromise the security of our digital infrastructures”
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