U.S. tech giant IBM, a frontrunner in quantum tech, recently announced it expects to have the first workable quantum computer by 2029. That underlines the urgency of securing critical data.
“The fact that we have this roadmap now and that all of the EU member states agreed on this … I think this is really a big step,” said Stephan Ehlen, a cryptography expert at the German cybersecurity agency and one of the authors of the roadmap.
But making a plan is just the start.
“This is not only about these algorithms, it’s a huge migration problem … It affects billions and billions of systems,” said Bart Preneel, a cryptographer also from KU Leuven. “It’s a very complex problem that you cannot solve in a few A4s.”
It’s also a problem that hits home with national governments and their security and intelligence services. Several European governments have imposed export restrictions on quantum technology; the real concern for governments is whether their own communications are affected, and whether “everything they’re doing can be exposed,” Preneel said.
Some experts have downplayed a doomsday scenario for quantum, arguing that even if computers are developed that can break modern encryption, it still requires a significant amount of work and money to do so.
The EU has no excuse not to push on, said Manfred Lochter, another official at the German cyber agency. “If you don’t have access to quantum technologies, then you’re lost.”
