Gartner: The quantum threat is already behind schedule
Quantum threats may be years away, but organizations need to prepare now.
Gartner's analysis reveals that the looming threat of quantum computing has arrived earlier than anticipated. The company predicts that advances in quantum computing will render conventional asymmetric cryptography unsafe by 2030. This timeline may seem distant, but the reality is far more urgent. Replacing the cryptography embedded across modern technology infrastructure is not a simple patch update; it's a multi-year transformation that affects applications, infrastructure, identity systems, suppliers, and developers alike.
Most organizations have not yet grasped the gravity of the situation. While quantum innovation is progressing rapidly, with breakthroughs from IBM, Amazon, and Google, the immediate concern lies in the lack of visibility into existing cryptographic systems. A staggering 61% of organizations lack full visibility into their cryptographic systems, leaving them vulnerable to "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks by well-resourced state actors.
The threat is already active, with adversaries hoovering up encrypted data now, waiting for the day decryption becomes trivial. Even encrypted data with a long shelf life, such as government records and medical files, is at risk. Crypto-agility is the key to mitigating these risks, but it's not a simple matter of swapping out algorithms. The transition requires careful planning, as new algorithms have different key sizes, performance characteristics, and standards.
Organizations must start building crypto-agility now, alongside experimenting with post-quantum algorithms. This includes inventorying all cryptographic components and prioritizing migration based on the lifespan and criticality of the data and systems involved. Crypto-agility is not solely the responsibility of the security team; it requires collaboration across various departments, including developers, cloud and network teams, identity teams, and procurement.
By addressing cryptographic technical debt and implementing crypto-agility, organizations can better prepare for the quantum future.
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