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Quantum computers could break today’s encryption. Washington needs to prepare now.
Quantum computers could break widely used encryption that protects sensitive digital communications, financial transactions, and government systems, and foreign adversaries are already stealing encrypted data today to decrypt later with future quantum capabilities. Recent research suggests the computational resources needed to crack encryption may be lower than previously estimated, prompting Google to target 2029 for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography and the White House to direct federal systems to adopt quantum-resistant algorithms by 2030 to 2031. Congress should coordinate a comprehensive transition across federal agencies, states, critical infrastructure, and the private sector while developing multilayered security defenses, particularly given China's strategic investment in quantum technology.
Why it matters: Government agencies, military, critical infrastructure operators, financial institutions, and healthcare systems must begin identifying vulnerable encryption systems and planning transitions to post-quantum cryptography now, since data encrypted today could be decrypted by future quantum computers before current defensive measures are fully deployed.
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- First seen by Cybersecurity Tracker