tech
Google warns quantum computers could hack encrypted systems by 2029
Banks, governments and tech providers urged to upgrade security because current systems will soon be obsolete
TL;DR
- Google warns quantum computer hackers could break existing encryption systems by 2029.
- This poses a significant threat to current cryptographic standards and online security.
- Google recommends prioritizing migration to post-quantum cryptography for authentication services.
- Quantum computers are a nascent technology with significant development hurdles, including qubit stability.
- Timelines for cryptographically relevant quantum computers vary, but the threat is close enough for governments to prepare.
- Intelligence communities have been considering this threat for over a decade.
- The UK's cybersecurity agency suggested guarding systems against quantum hackers by 2035.
- "Store now, decrypt later" attacks, predicated on future quantum decryption availability, may already be in use.