One of the biggest game changers in the cybersecurity world stems from quantum computing. Indeed, it provides great promise in many areas like medical research, artificial intelligence, weather forecasting, and much more. However, it also presents significant threats to current cybersecurity infrastructure, requiring a change in how everything is encrypted right now.
Even though quantum computers currently can’t break the current forms of encryption, it doesn’t mean future advancements won’t be able to. To remain ahead, developments in encryption should work to stay ahead and continue to keep the status quo.
Quantum Computing Provides A Scraping Threat
Even though at the time of writing, quantum computers aren’t commercially available, consumer computers should have quantum proof data being worked on now due to a prominent threat called scraping.
Scraping techniques currently can take encrypted data and allow hackers to keep that data to be used later when a quantum computer becomes available. As a result, data that’s already being captured right now could be broken into later.
How Quantum Computing Will Threaten Cybersecurity
Even though there are many benefits to it, quantum computers are a step above typical computers in that they can solve even more complex problems. These problems do include solving algorithms behind encrypted keys that protect data and the infrastructure of the internet.
Today, typical computers will take an incredibly long time to decode encrypted data. Hackers won’t bother putting in the time or energy to break the code today. However, quantum computers can solve those complicated problems at a faster pace.
Even though quantum computing will take another 3 to 5 years, it’s not a reason to sit idly. The main concern with this threat stems more from the technology posing a threat to encrypted data that stores private information now and needs to remain private such as national security-level data, banking data, privacy act data, and many others.
Overall, there are still many questions left revolving around quantum computing and scientists are working diligently to answer and research it. But one thing is clear, from a cybersecurity standpoint, quantum computing does provide a current threat to today’s encryption methods. Mitigating that threat will involve new approaches, progressive thinking, and proactive action.