Yes, as a CISO you need to prepare for quantum threats now, even though powerful quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption are not yet widely available. The reason is simple: attackers are already collecting encrypted data traffic today to decrypt it later once quantum technology makes that possible. This article answers the most frequently asked questions about quantum risks, post-quantum cryptography, and what you as a CISO can concretely do to protect your organization.<\/p>\n
The quantum threat is already real today, even without a quantum computer existing right now that can break common encryption. The danger lies in the so-called harvest now, decrypt later<\/strong> attack: malicious actors intercept large volumes of encrypted data traffic now and store it, expecting that a future quantum computer will be able to decrypt that data. For sensitive information with a long lifespan, this is an acute risk.<\/p>\n Most cryptographic experts and government agencies expect that cryptographically relevant quantum computers will become a reality somewhere in the next ten to fifteen years. Some estimates assume a shorter timeline. What is certain: the migration time to quantum-safe cryptography is long. Those who wait now will fall behind later.<\/p>\n For sectors such as critical infrastructure, defense, healthcare, and financial services, the threat is especially urgent. Data that must remain confidential now and still needs to be in five or ten years is already vulnerable to harvest now, decrypt later attacks. The quantum threat for CISOs is therefore no longer a future concern, but a strategic issue for today.<\/p>\n Systems and data face the greatest quantum risk when they use asymmetric cryptography such as RSA, ECC, or Diffie-Hellman, and when the confidentiality of the data must be guaranteed over a longer period. Quantum computers are specifically capable of solving the mathematical problems on which these algorithms rely.<\/p>\n The most vulnerable categories are:<\/p>\n Symmetric encryption such as AES-256 is less vulnerable, but here too key exchange often takes place via asymmetric methods. That link is the weakest point in the chain. A thorough approach to sensitive data<\/a> therefore starts with mapping which cryptographic methods you use throughout your infrastructure.<\/p>\nWhich systems and data are most at risk?<\/h2>\n
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