Quantum computing has long been seen as a distant concept \u2013 complex, hypothetical and always 10 years away.<\/p>\n
But recent announcements from the likes of Google<\/a>, IBM<\/a> and Microsoft<\/a> suggest that the timeline may be accelerating. These tech giants are making tangible progress in stabilising and scaling quantum systems, moving the technology from theoretical to practical. However, while this shift has huge potential to transform sectors like drug discovery and material science, it also has unprecedented implications for the world of cybersecurity.<\/p>\n Once quantum computing becomes viable at scale, much of today\u2019s encryption \u2013 the backbone of secure communication, transactions and data storage \u2013 will be rendered obsolete. This means the systems that we rely on for privacy and security will need a complete overhaul.<\/p>\n The problem? Most organisations still aren\u2019t ready. Many underestimate the pace of change, or don\u2019t yet grasp how high the stakes truly are. But, as quantum computing moves from research labs to real-world applications, every industry will need to act fast to protect sensitive data and future-proof critical systems.<\/p>\n The state of quantum computing in 2025<\/p>\n Quantum computing always seemed a long way off\u2026until suddenly, it didn\u2019t. What changed?<\/p>\n One of the fundamental dependencies of this technology is the ability to produce large volumes of stable qubits. Qubits (short for quantum bits) are the building blocks for quantum computing, but unlike classic bits, which are binary (0\u2019s or 1\u2019s), qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously thanks to a property called superposition.<\/p>\n This trait gives quantum computers the ability to process enormous amounts of data, allowing them to handle complex problems much faster than traditional computers. But there\u2019s a catch: qubits are notoriously fragile and prone to errors. To build a reliable quantum computer, you need to correct those errors \u2013 and that takes a lot of qubits. In fact, it takes about 10 unstable qubits just to create one stable, error-corrected qubit. So, to build a powerful and accurate quantum computer, you need thousands of qubits working together.<\/p>\n Despite this complexity, leading companies are making meaningful progress. While we\u2019re still in the early stages, the race to produce scalable quantum systems is heating up. It could be commercially viable, at least in certain use cases, within the next five years.<\/p>\n This timeline has major implications \u2013 especially when it comes to cryptography.<\/p>\n Why current encryption won\u2019t survive a quantum computer<\/p>\n Most modern encryption relies on the fact that it takes traditional computers an incredibly long time to break large numbers. Current algorithms like RSA (Rivest\u2013Shamir\u2013Adleman) and ECC (elliptic curve cryptography) depend on this fact to stay secure.<\/p>\n Quantum computers, however, turn this assumption on its head. Using quantum algorithms like Shor\u2019s algorithm, it becomes possible to factor large numbers exponentially faster than classical computers. In practical terms, this means that once quantum machines reach sufficient scale, they could rapidly crack the encryption that protects everything from financial transactions to personal medical data.<\/p>\n In response, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other regulatory bodies are already recommending the adoption of post-quantum cryptography \u2013 encryption methods designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers. These include lattice-based cryptography and hash-based signatures. While promising, these approaches often require longer key lengths and more processing power, meaning businesses will need to update both software and hardware to support them at scale.<\/p>\n The hidden security risks<\/p>\n