In summary:
- Google warns that ‘Q-Day’, when quantum computers can break current encryption, may arrive by 2029, earlier than previously expected.
- PCWorld reports this threatens RSA and ECC algorithms protecting banking, communications, and digital infrastructure across all sectors.
- Google plans to integrate post-quantum cryptography into Android 17 by June, accelerating the NSA’s original 2031 implementation timeline.
The development of quantum computing is progressing faster than expected, leading Google to now anticipate that “Q-Day” could arrive as early as 2029. So says Heather Adkins, VP of Security Engineering, in a recent blog post on The Keyword.
Q-Day (also known as Quantum Day) refers to a hypothetical future point in time when quantum computers will finally be powerful enough to crack current encryption solutions, which could cause major problems and disruptions for authorities, banks… pretty much everything.
One solution to the problem is to invest in “post-quantum cryptography” (PQC), which entails the development of new encryption algorithms that replace RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC).
The National Security Agency (NSA) had previously aimed to implement PQC by 2031 at the latest, but if Google’s updated forecast is correct, that work will need to be accelerated.
PQC also needs to be implemented in operating systems and software, a process that will begin with Android 17 and due for release in June.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish.
Author: Mikael Markander, Contributor, PCWorld
Mikael writes news across all our consumer tech categories. He has previously worked with Macworld, but today mainly writes for our sister sites PC för Alla and M3. Mikael has a firm grasp on which gadgets are released, and what is happening with the streaming services and the latest AI tools.