The speed of progress marks a steep acceleration. Since Peter Shor’s 1994 revelation that quantum computer systems may theoretically break RSA, useful resource estimates have plummeted—from one billion qubits in 2012 to only one million immediately.
Gartner VP Analyst Bart Willemsen warned that “quantum computing will weaken uneven cryptography by 2029.” On condition that cryptographic upgrades typically span a number of years, he urged organizations to start strategic planning now, particularly for infrastructure with hard-coded crypto dependencies. Many builders, he famous, lack deep familiarity with cryptographic libraries and hash features, making early stock, efficiency testing, and system mapping important to any practical PQC roadmap.
Enterprise safety implications
For safety leaders, the analysis highlights two quick priorities. First, encrypted communications utilizing RSA or related algorithms face acute “retailer now, decrypt later” dangers, the place intercepted information may very well be decrypted as soon as quantum computer systems obtain enough scale. Google has applied NIST-approved ML-KEM throughout Chrome and inner techniques, establishing a benchmark for securing internet site visitors, VPNs, and messaging platforms.
