{
  "id": 13165213,
  "title": "US failure to prepare for rise of quantum computers could be 'catastrophic' for economy, GAO warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/us-failure-to-prepare-for-rise-of-quantum-computers-could-be-13165213",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-09T16:58:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2026/10/09/quantum-cryptography-crqc-us-economy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new federal report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) warns that the rise of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) could have catastrophic consequences for the US economy and security. These quantum computers could potentially break encryption, leading to a wave of financial crimes. Traditional computers use bits with binary values of zero or one, while quantum computers use qubits, which can process data simultaneously. This increased data processing capability could accelerate scientific and medical research breakthroughs. However, the report also highlights the potential risks to cyber security, as CRQCs could compromise vast amounts of encrypted data. The GAO has recommended that 20 federal agencies develop inventories of potentially vulnerable cryptography to support post-quantum cryptography funding. While 12 agencies agreed with the recommendations, one disagreed, and the US Department of the Interior did not respond. Despite the sobering implications, the report notes that experts believe the probability of a CRQC being built within the next decade is low. Nonetheless, there is a significant risk that malicious actors could be collecting encrypted data in anticipation of the advent of CRQCs. The World Economic Forum's 2026 report on emerging technologies lists lattice-based cryptography as a key solution to securing data against quantum computers.",
  "summary": "The development of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) capable of breaking just about any encryption might be \"catastrophic\" to the US economy and security, a new federal report says. The recently released analysis from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) echoes concerns from technology and cyber security experts in recent years about a hypothetical scenario known as…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "US failure to prepare for rise of quantum computers could be 'catastrophic' for economy, GAO warns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/us-failure-to-prepare-for-rise-of-quantum-computers-could-be",
        "published": "2026-10-09T16:58:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}