![]()
For years, “Q-Day,” or the moment quantum computers break modern encryption, has been treated as a distant problem. But thinking of quantum as a future, singular event is a mistake.
kAm%96 E:>6=:?6 :D 2446=6C2E:?8 C2A:5=J] %96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H9:E69@FD6]8@G^AC6D:56?E:2=\24E:@?D^a_ae^_e^D64FC:?8\E96\?2E:@?\282:?DE\25G2?465\4CJAE@8C2A9:4\2EE24<D^Qm(9:E6 w@FD6 tI64FE:G6 ~C56C `cc`ak^2m[ :DDF65 E9:D DF>>6C[ >2?52E6D DH66A:?8 7656C2= FA8C256D E@ A@DE\BF2?EF> DE2?52C5D 3J E96 6?5 @7 a_b_] %96 %C62DFCJ s6A2CE>6?E’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9@>6]EC62DFCJ]8@G^?6HD^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^D3_e`dQmC646?E=J 2??@F?465k^2m "F2?EF>\#625:?6DD %2D< u@C46 2=D@ 9:89=:89ED E96 DJDE6>:4 C:D<D 2=C625J AC6D6?E :? E96 7:?2?4:2= D64E@C] %96 AFD9 6IE6?5D H6== 36J@?5 E96 &]$][ H:E9 E96 t& 6DE23=:D9:?8 2 4@@C5:?2E65 C@25>2A 7@C A@DE\BF2?EF> 4CJAE@8C2A9J W!"rX 25@AE:@?[ H9:=6 E96 &]z] 92D @FE=:?65 :ED @H? >:8C2E:@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?4D4]8@G]F<^8F:52?46^AB4\>:8C2E:@?\E:>6=:?6DQm>:=6DE@?6Dk^2m E9C@F89 a_bd]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 C62= E9C62E :D?’E E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]K6C@E:6C]4@>^8=@DD2CJ^QmBF2?EF>k^2m DF556?=J 7=:AD 2 DH:E49] w24<6CD 2C6 2=C625J AC6A2C:?8 7@C E92E >@>6?E] %9C@F89 “92CG6DE ?@H[ 564CJAE =2E6C” Ww}s{X 2EE24<D[ 325 24E@CD 2C6 4@==64E:?8 6?4CJAE65 EC277:4 E@52J E@ 3C62< :E E@>@CC@H] x7 J@FC D6?D:E:G6 52E2 92D 2 D96=7 =:76 @7 >@C6 E92? 2 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD[ J@FC @C82?:K2E:@? :D 2=C625J 42CCJ:?8 4CJAE@8C2A9:4 563E] %96 A@DE\BF2?EF> 4CJAE@8C2A9J W!"rX 6C2 DE2CE65 E96 >@>6?E 25G6CD2C:6D 3682? D2G:?8 J@FC 52E2]k^Am
kAmq@2C5D[ rt~D[ rx~D[ 2?5 rx$~D 42? EC62E BF2?EF> C625:?6DD 2D 2? 6?E6CAC:D6 C:D< C2E96C E92? 2 ?:496 D64FC:EJ AC@;64E] %92E 4@>>:E>6?E 42? =625 E@ 2 C62= 3F586E[ C62=:DE:4 5625=:?6D[ 2?5 C68F=2C AC@8C6DD C6G:6HD]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D ?@ ?665 E@ C63F:=5 J@FC 6?E:C6 E649 DE24< @? 52J @?6] %96 7:CDE DE6A :D 6DE23=:D9:?8 H9@’D 5C:G:?8 E96 EC2?D:E:@?] !C6A2C:?8 7@C !"r D9@F=5 DE2CE H:E9 2 D>2== 4C@DD\7F?4E:@?2= E62> E92E @H?D J@FC 4CJAE@8C2A9J] xED ;@3 :D E@ 7:?5 4CJAE@8C2A9:4 563E[ D6E A@=:4J[ AFD9 G6?5@CD[ 2?5 86E J@F E@ BF2?EF>\D276 DE2?52C5D 367@C6 2EE24<6CD 86E J@FC 52E2] k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]K6C@E:6C]4@>^Qm+6C@%:6Ck^2m @FE=:?6D 7:G6 DE6AD @C82?:K2E:@?D 42? E2<6 E@ AC6A2C6 7@C E96 A@DE\BF2?EF> 6C2[ @776C:?8 AC24E:42= E:AD 7@C 2DD6DD:?8 C:D<D[ 255C6DD:?8 4CJAE@8C2A9:4 82AD 2?5 A=2??:?8 E96 EC2?D:E:@? E@ BF2?EF>\D276 DE2?52C5D]k^Am
k9bmd $E6AD E@ %2<6 %@52J k^9bm
kAm*@F 5@?’E ?665 E@ E24<=6 6G6CJE9:?8 2E @?46[ 3FE J@F 5@ ?665 2 4=62C A=2?] w6C6 2C6 7:G6 AC24E:42= DE6AD E@ DE2CE 3F:=5:?8 J@FC BF2?EF> C625:?6DD]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m`] qF:=5 @FE J@FC rCJAE@8C2A9:4 q:== @7 |2E6C:2=D Wrq~|X]k^DEC@?8m p rq~| :D 2 4@>A=6E6 :?G6?E@CJ @7 E96 A=246D J@F FD6 4CJAE@8C2A9J[ 7C@> 2AA=:42E:@?D 2?5 56G:46D E@ ?6EH@C< 4@??64E:@?D[ 46CE:7:42E6D 2?5 E9:C5\A2CEJ DJDE6>D] s@4F>6?E H9:49 2=8@C:E9>D 2C6 :? FD6[ H96C6 E96J’C6 56A=@J65 2?5 H92E E96J’C6 AC@E64E:?8] *@F 42?’E >:8C2E6 H92E J@F 42?’E D66] p 4=62C :?G6?E@CJ :D E96 7:CDE DE6A E@H2C5 <?@H:?8 H92E ?665D E@ 492?86]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8ma] {2J6C @? 2 "F2?EF> q:== @7 |2E6C:2=D W"q~|X]k^DEC@?8m &D6 J@FC rq~| E@ :56?E:7J H9:49 DJDE6>D C6=J @? BF2?EF>\GF=?6C23=6 4CJAE@8C2A9J] %96? C2?< E96> 3J C:D< 2?5 FC86?4J] $E2CE H:E9 9:89\G2=F6 2DD6ED Ww'pDX[ 4C:E:42= :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 D6?D:E:G6 52E2 E92E ?665D E@ DE2J AC@E64E65 7@C J62CD] r@?D:56C 9@H =@?8 E92E 52E2 >FDE C6>2:? 4@?7:56?E:2=[ 9@H 6IA@D65 :E :D E@52J 2?5 9@H 5:77:4F=E 6249 DJDE6> H:== 36 E@ FA8C256] }@E 6G6CJE9:?8 ?665D E@ >@G6 2E @?46[ 3FE J@FC 9:896DE\C:D< DJDE6>D D9@F=5?’E 36 =2DE :? =:?6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mb] }2>6 @?6 244@F?E23=6 =6256C]k^DEC@?8m "F2?EF> C625:?6DD :D 2 =6256CD9:A C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 2?5 D9@F=5?’E 36 2? x% 27E6CE9@F89E] pDD:8? @?6 A6CD@? E@ @H? E96 EC2?D:E:@?[ 4@@C5:?2E6 24C@DD x%[ D64FC:EJ[ 4@>A=:2?46 2?5 AC@4FC6>6?E[ 2?5 <66A AC@8C6DD @? EC24<] %92E =6256C D9@F=5 92G6 E96 2FE9@C:EJ E@ D6E AC:@C:E:6D[ D64FC6 3F586ED 2?5 9@=5 E62>D 244@F?E23=6] (:E9@FE 4=62C @H?6CD9:A[ 6G6? E96 36DE >:8C2E:@? A=2?D 42? DE2== 367@C6 E96J 86E DE2CE65]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mc] s@?’E 4C62E6 2 36DA@<6 !"r AC@;64E]k^DEC@?8m pG@:5 E96 FC86 E@ EC62E E9:D 2D 2 >2DD:G6[ 5:DCFAE:G6 C:A\2?5\C6A=246] !:88J324< 5:C64E=J @? J@FC 6I:DE:?8 E649 =:764J4=6[ :]6][ C@FE:?6 D@7EH2C6 FA52E6D[ 4=@F5 >:8C2E:@?D[ 2?5 D4965F=65 92C5H2C6 C67C6D96D] (96? 4CJAE@8C2A9:4 FA8C256D 2C6 3F:=E :?E@ H@C< E92E’D 2=C625J 7F?565 2?5 F?56CH2J[ D64FC:EJ :D 24EF2==J 56A=@J65]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8md] sC27E J@FC >:8C2E:@? A=2? ?@H]k^DEC@?8m s@?’E H2:E 7@C C68F=2E@CJ 5625=:?6D E@ 7@C46 J@FC 92?5] qF:=5 2 AC24E:42= C@25>2A E92E @FE=:?6D H9:49 DJDE6>D ?665 E@ EC2?D:E:@?[ H92E 492?86D 2C6 C6BF:C65[ 2?5 H96? 6249 FA8C256 D9@F=5 92AA6?] $6E 4=62C >:=6DE@?6D[ :56?E:7J 56A6?56?4:6D[ 2?5 H@C< H:E9 G6?5@CD E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96:C !"r C625:?6DD] !C:@C:E:K6 J@FC 9:896DE\C:D< DJDE6>D 2?5 3F:=5 BF2?EF>\D276 FA8C256D :?E@ J@FC 6I:DE:?8 E649?@=@8J C67C6D9 4J4=6D] k^Am
k9bm$E2CE H:E9 E96 r@??64E:@?D %92E |2EE6C |@DE k^9bm
kAm"F2?EF> C625:?6DD 5@6D?’E C6BF:C6 492?8:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 @G6C?:89E] pD J@F 3F:=5 J@FC rq~| 2?5 "q~|[ A2J 4=@D6 2EE6?E:@? E@ E96 4@??64E:@?D 42CCJ:?8 J@FC >@DE D6?D:E:G6 52E2] '!} EF??6=D[ D:E6\E@\D:E6 =:?<D 2?5 C6>@E6 2446DD A2E9D 2== 42CCJ :?7@C>2E:@? E92E 4@F=5 36 6IA@D65 E@ w}s{ 2EE24<D] $64FC:?8 E96D6 4@??64E:@?D :D 2 4C:E:42= A2CE @7 2?J !"r >:8C2E:@? DEC2E68J]k^Am
kAm{@@< 7@C 2 BF2?EF>\D64FC6 D@7EH2C6\567:?65 ?6EH@C<:?8 A=2E7@C> E92E @776CD 46?EC2=:K65 G:D:3:=:EJ[ :56?E:EJ\32D65 2446DD 4@?EC@= 2?5 A@=:4J 6?7@C46>6?E 24C@DD 56G:46D[ 4=@F5D 2?5 D:E6D[ H:E9@FE C6BF:C:?8 2 4@>A=6E6 C:A\2?5\C6A=246 @7 J@FC :?7C2DECF4EFC6] !C:@C:E:K6 D@=FE:@?D E92E DFAA@CE }x$%\DE2?52C5:K65 A@DE\BF2?EF> 4CJAE@8C2A9J[ :?4=F5:?8 9J3C:5 <6J 6I492?86 4@>3:?:?8 |{\zt|\`_ac Wux!$ a_bX H:E9 4=2DD:42= trsw !\bgc 2D H6== 2D 4CJAE@8C2A9:4 >@5F=6D G2=:52E65 F?56C ux!$ `c_\b] %96 8@2= :D E@ AC@E64E D6?D:E:G6 EC277:4 ?@H H9:=6 >2:?E2:?:?8 E96 7=6I:3:=:EJ E@ 252AE 2D 4CJAE@8C2A9:4 DE2?52C5D 2?5 D64FC:EJ C6BF:C6>6?ED 6G@=G6]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]K6C@E:6C]4@>^3=@8^d\DE6AD\@C82?:K2E:@?D\>FDE\E2<6\?@H\E@\AC6A2C6\7@C\E96\A@DE\BF2?EF>\6C2^n0E9F>3?2:=0:5lbhee_Qmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2mk6>m H2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]K6C@E:6C]4@>^Qmk6>m+6C@%:6Ck^6>mk^2mk6>m 2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2mk6>m]k^6>mk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.