t cht lk and will only become more dangerous as states have access to quantum computing .
t cht lk and will only become more dangerous as states have access to quantum computing .
Similarly , it goes without saying that companies that either work directly with or around the defence industry , not just in their own country but in any , will be prime targets for state-based or aligned bad actors with access to quantum computing .
Finally , regulated entities such as those in financial services and healthcare keep long-term , highly sensitive data on their customers , and if this data is altered -or even could be altered- then this would have major effects on the world ’ s financial environment , which relies on accurate records .
I must make clear that none of the above means that companies that aren ’ t in these sectors are safe – if any company leaves themselves unprotected then various bad actors will , in time , find a way to exploit that , perhaps by decrypting the data much later .
And although there is a great deal of complexity around quantum computing , organisations like NIST have already worked out quantum-safe algorithms to protect data , and hundreds or thousands of companies are already using them to secure their data , even though the threats to that data have not emerged .
In fear of labouring the point , we simply don ’ t know exactly when quantum computing will go from being a hypothetical to a threat , but it ’ s essential that the C-Suites of any and every company , not just the CIO or CISO , start preparing now by assessing what cryptographic assets are in use today that need to be protected against tomorrow ' s threats . p
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