Britain has 10 years to prepare for encryption-breaking quantum cyberattacks

As if there's not enough headache about cyberattacks already, the United Kingdom’s cybersecurity agency has urged organizations to foolproof their systems against quantum hackers by 2035.

Shoring up your digital defenses is always a good idea. Especially if attackers are well-versed in quantum-powered cyberattacks, which are not here yet but might arrive soon, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned in a new guidance.

According to the NCSC, large entities and operators of critical national infrastructure, such as energy and transport providers, need to introduce “post-quantum cryptography” (PQC) in order to prevent quantum tech being deployed to break into their systems.

The guidance outlines a three-phase timeline for organizations to transition to quantum-resistant encryption methods by 2035. The NCSC said: “Current encryption standards – used to protect banking, secure communications, and other sensitive data – are vulnerable to the power of quantum computers.”

These encryption methods rely on mathematical problems that current-generation computers struggle to solve. However, quantum computers have the potential to solve them much faster, which means that current encryption methods would be insecure.

The NCSC, which is part of the powerful Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) organization, said that migrating to PQC will help organizations stay ahead of this threat by deploying quantum-resistant algorithms before would-be attackers have the chance to exploit vulnerabilities.

Over the next three years, organizations should identify cryptographic services that need upgrades. By 2031, they should have executed high-priority upgrades, and by 2035, all security systems should have migrated to PQC.

“Our new guidance on post-quantum cryptography provides a clear roadmap for organizations to safeguard their data against these future threats, helping to ensure that today’s confidential information remains secure in years to come,” said the NCSC chief technical officer, Ollie Whitehouse.

For most small and medium-sized businesses, migrating to PQC security will be fairly routine, relying on the service of PQC specialized tech service providers. Larger organizations may have to put in place significant planning and investment, the NCSC said.

The age of quantum computing, which promises to deliver machines that are thousands of times more powerful than traditional computers, is approaching fast.

Google’s head of quantum research said last month that the company is on course to release commercial quantum computing applications within five years, challenging Nvidia's previous 20-year prediction.

Traditional computers process information one number at a time, whereas quantum computers use “qubits” that can represent several numbers at once.