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Showing posts with label Quantum computing. Show all posts
Quantum threats
Bitcoin Security Blockchain Security Cryptographic Attacks Cyber Security Cyber Threats Elliptic Curve Cryptography Post Quantum Cryptography Quantum computing Quantum threats

Bitcoin Edges Closer to Q-Day Following Quantum Key Breakthrough


 After an anonymous researcher was able to compromise a simplified Bitcoin-style encryption key with the help of a publicly accessible quantum computer, a new and increasingly significant phase has emerged in the race between cryptographic resilience and quantum capability. 


By using a variant of Shor's algorithm, the breakthrough has been demonstrated as the largest quantum attack against elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) to date, and the security of Bitcoin and other blockchain networks relying on public-key cryptographic systems Project has been heightened as a result of this event. 

Eleven confirmed it had awarded its 1 Bitcoin “Q-Day Prize,” valued at nearly $78,000, to Italian researcher Giancarlo Lelli for successfully breaking a 15-bit ECC key. The demonstration was conducted using a highly simplified cryptographic model rather than a production-scale Bitcoin wallet, but it reinforced warnings from cybersecurity and quantum research communities that theoretical quantum threats are narrowing faster than previously anticipated as practical exploitation becomes more accessible.

In response to the rapid advancement in quantum computing research, digital assets have received renewed scrutiny due to the cryptographic foundations of digital assets. The publication of several research papers in March 2026 indicates that large-scale quantum systems may be able to undermine commonly used encryption methods far before earlier projections indicated. There is a concern concerning Shor's algorithm, a quantum technique capable of solving mathematical problems such as integer factorization and discrete logarithms for elliptic curves, which serve as the foundation for cryptocurrencies, secure communications, and digital authentication. 

Researchers at Google Quantum AI recently reported that a sufficiently advanced quantum computer capable of deriving a Bitcoin private key from its associated public key in less than ten minutes if it contained fewer than 500,000 physical qubits. This further raised concerns. As a result of such a capability, classical systems will no longer face computational infeasibility, which would result in years or even centuries of work to accomplish the same task. 

According to the study, blockchain developers, cryptographers, and security analysts are reassessing how rapidly they may need to prepare for "Q-Day" – a phenomenon when quantum computers become sufficiently powerful to compromise current cryptographic standards at scale and threaten global digital infrastructure integrity. It is noteworthy, however, that despite the growing alarm, the current hardware does not meet the threshold required for a real-world attack on Bitcoin. 

The most advanced quantum processors currently operate at approximately 1,000 qubits, leaving a significant technological gap before practical cryptographic compromise is feasible. Project Eleven's latest experiment, however, has been regarded as an early indicator that the cryptocurrency sector is entering a transition period where quantum-resistant security models are required to be developed before theoretical risks become operational threats. 

Increasing quantum developments are transforming broader market sentiment about digital assets, as concerns about cryptographic durability have moved beyond theoretical discussions and have become institutional risk assessments. Bitcoin's security architecture relies on the elliptic curve cryptography system to authenticate ownership and to secure transactions over the network for many years. 

Quantum research is progressing, however, which is leading analysts and security experts to question whether future quantum systems will undermine the mathematical assumptions underlying blockchain security. The debate is already influencing financial positioning within traditional markets. Upon the removal of Bitcoin from Jefferies' model portfolio, Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy, noted that continued advances in quantum computing could adversely affect the credibility of the cryptocurrency as a long-term store of value, unless its cryptographic protections are successfully compromised. 

The concerns gained additional traction after Google Quantum AI released a whitepaper on March 31, which presented significant reductions in hardware requirements for executing quantum attacks against the elliptic curve cryptography that is used by Bitcoin, Ether, and most major blockchain networks. 

Researchers have estimated that fewer than 500,000 physical qubits of a superconducting quantum computer could theoretically be sufficient to compromise these cryptographic systems, a number twenty times lower than earlier projections that suggested the requirement would be in the multimillion-qubit range. Several academics and institutions contributed to the research, including Justin Drake, Dan Boneh, and six researchers from Google Quantum AI led by Ryan Babbush and Hartmut Neven. 

Google also disclosed the research had been coordinated with U.S. government stakeholders prior to publication. Coinbase, Stanford Institute for Blockchain Research, and Ethereum Foundation were among the organizations that collaborated with Coinbase to develop the report. Research indicates, however, that quantum computing is not yet able to reach the operational scale required to perform such attacks on live blockchain networks. 

Google's most advanced quantum processor, Willow, currently operates with 105 qubits-well below the company's projections for such processors. Despite this, the industry's perception of the timeline has changed due to the rapid reduction in estimated hardware requirements. The concept was once considered a distant theoretical possibility, but is now increasingly seen as a long-term engineering challenge that must be mitigated with proactive measures, especially as the interval between quantum capabilities and cryptographically relevant quantum systems continues to narrow faster than many researchers expected. 

Project Eleven's "Q-Day Prize" launched in 2025 to assess whether publicly accessible quantum systems could progress beyond the limited proof-of-concept exercises that have long defined the field has also gained renewed visibility through the latest demonstration. It was designed to counter persistent criticisms that existing quantum hardware has only been able to demonstrate mathematically trivial demonstrations, including dividing the number 21 into 3 and 7, in an attempt to counter persistent criticism that quantum computers will be capable of breaking modern cryptographic systems at scale. 

During Giancarlo Lelli’s successful attack on that boundary, he solved a 15-bit elliptic curve cryptography problem covering 32,767 possible values, resulting in a significant improvement in the complexity publicly achieved using accessible quantum infrastructure.

In the opinion of Project Eleven co-founder Alex Pruden, the significance of the result has less to do with the size of the broken key than it does with the evidence of sustained technological advancement within quantum science. "The good news here is that progress is being made," Pruden said, arguing that the experiment demonstrates quantum computing has advanced beyond symbolic accomplishments. 

As reported by the media, the attack involved the implementation of a quantum system with approximately 70 qubits which was executed within minutes of the algorithmic framework having been finalized. 

A qubit is different from classical binary bits, in that they can exist simultaneously in multiple probability states, allowing quantum systems to perform certain cryptographic calculations exponentially faster under the right conditions. 

In the report, it was stated that Lelli's submission was reviewed by a panel of independent researchers from academia and industry, including experts associated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the quantum software company qBraid. Quantum hardware developers and academic institutions continue to publish increasingly ambitious projections for attaining cryptographically relevant quantum systems at the time of this announcement. 

Google Quantum AI made public commitments to transitioning its infrastructure to post-quantum cryptography by 2029 as a result of rapid advances in quantum hardware scalability, error correction techniques, and declining estimates for computing resources required to compromise current encryption standards in March. As a consequence, competing research estimates continue to narrow the perceived distance to practical attacks on blockchain cryptography. 

Using Google's estimate, less than 500,000 physical qubits are required to compromise Bitcoin's elliptic curve protection. However, a separate study conducted by the California Institute of Technology and Oratomic indicates that a neutral-atom quantum architecture may be able to reduce the amount of qubits required to 10,000 to 20,000. 

The focus of Pruden's organization is currently on 2029 as a worst-case estimate for the arrival of "Q-Day," emphasizing that forecasting the pace of scientific breakthroughs remains inherently uncertain due to the unpredictable nature of both engineering improvements and human innovation. The Project Eleven project estimates that approximately 6.9 million Bitcoins currently stored in wallets with publicly exposed keys on the blockchain could become theoretically vulnerable to quantum-based attacks if such systems eventually come into existence. 

However, it remains the belief of many within the cryptocurrency sector that the issue is more of a long-term infrastructure challenge than an immediate threat to the system. A number of defensive proposals are being discussed among Bitcoin developers with the purpose of transitioning the network to quantum-resistant cryptographic models. 

A proposed upgrade such as BIP-360 introduces quantum-secure transaction formats, while BIP-361 phases out older signature schemes and may freeze dormant coins unable to migrate to the enhanced security protocols. A dedicated post-quantum security initiative has been launched by the Ethereum Foundation, with co-founder Vitalik Buterin presenting plans for replacement of vulnerable components of Ethereum's cryptographic architecture over the long term.

Pruden also emphasized that advances in artificial intelligence could accelerate Q-Day even further by increasing quantum error-correction efficiency, thereby aiding researchers and attackers in quickly identifying weaker cryptographic targets, potentially compressing the timeframe available for blockchain networks to implement defensive transitions. 

In spite of the ongoing debate within the cryptocurrency industry regarding the urgency of quantum threats, the direction of research suggests that the conversation has shifted from theoretical speculation to strategic planning for the long term. Currently, Bitcoin and other blockchain networks remain protected by an enormous technological gap that separates current quantum hardware from the capability required to conduct a successful cryptographic attack.

Despite this, the steady reduction in estimated qubit requirements, combined with rapid advancements in quantum engineering and artificial intelligence, are intensifying pressure on developers and exchanges to prepare for a post-quantum future as soon as possible. Institutions are now reviewing their risk models as blockchain ecosystems move towards quantum-resistant security standards, and emergence of a "Q-Day" is no longer considered a question of whether it will occur, but rather a question of when.
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Nvidia’s AI Launch Sparks Quantum Stock Surge, Minting Xanadu’s CEO a Billionaire

 

Quantum computing stocks jumped after Nvidia unveiled its Ising open-source AI model family, a move that investors interpreted as a strong validation of the sector. The result was a sharp rally in several names, with Xanadu standing out as the biggest winner and its founder Christian Weedbrook briefly joining the billionaire ranks.

The core issue is that Nvidia’s announcement did not introduce a new quantum computer; instead, it introduced software tools aimed at two of quantum computing’s hardest problems: calibration and error correction. Nvidia said Ising can make decoding up to 2.5 times faster and three times more accurate than pyMatching, which helped convince traders that the path to practical quantum systems may be improving faster than expected. 

That enthusiasm quickly turned into extreme stock moves. Xanadu’s shares climbed from under $8 to roughly $40 in six trading sessions, while the Toronto exchange paused trading several times because of the speed of the move. Similar gains appeared across the sector, including D-Wave, IonQ, Rigetti, Infleqtion, and Quantum Computing, showing that the market was bidding up the whole group rather than just one company. 

For Xanadu, the rally created an extraordinary paper windfall. Weedbrook owns 15.6% of the company through multiple voting shares, and his stake was valued at about $1.5 billion to $1.6 billion during the surge. The story is notable because the company’s valuation moved dramatically on sentiment tied to Nvidia’s broader endorsement of quantum-related tooling, not on a fresh commercial breakthrough from Xanadu itself. 

The main issue is that quantum computing remains a high-expectation, low-certainty industry. Nvidia’s move suggests that investors increasingly view AI and quantum as complementary technologies, especially if software can help make fragile quantum hardware more usable. But the volatility also highlights the risk: when a sector is still early and speculative, a single announcement can create massive gains, even before the business fundamentals fully catch up.
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Quantum Computing Could Threaten Bitcoin Security Sooner Than Expected, Study Finds

 



New research suggests the cryptocurrency industry may have less time than anticipated to prepare for the risks posed by quantum computing, with potential implications for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major digital assets.

A whitepaper released on March 31 by researchers at Google indicates that breaking the cryptographic systems securing these networks may require fewer than 500,000 physical qubits on a superconducting quantum computer. This marks a sharp reduction from earlier estimates, which placed the requirement in the millions.

The study brings together contributors from both academia and industry, including Justin Drake of the Ethereum Foundation and Dan Boneh, alongside Google Quantum AI researchers led by Ryan Babbush and Hartmut Neven. The research was also shared with U.S. government agencies prior to publication, with input from organizations such as Coinbase and the Ethereum Foundation.

At present, no quantum system is capable of carrying out such an attack. Google’s most advanced processor, Willow, operates with 105 qubits. However, researchers warn that the gap between current hardware and attack-capable machines is narrowing. Drake has estimated at least a 10% probability that a quantum computer could extract a private key from a public key by 2032.

The concern centers on how cryptocurrencies are secured. Bitcoin relies on a mathematical problem known as the Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem, which is considered practically unsolvable using classical computers. However, Peter Shor demonstrated that quantum algorithms could solve this problem far more efficiently, potentially allowing attackers to recover private keys, forge signatures, and access funds.

Importantly, this threat does not extend to Bitcoin mining, which relies on the SHA-256 algorithm. Experts suggest that using quantum computing to meaningfully disrupt mining remains decades away. Instead, the vulnerability lies in signature schemes such as ECDSA and Schnorr, both based on the secp256k1.

The research outlines three potential attack scenarios. “On-spend” attacks target transactions in progress, where an attacker could intercept a transaction, derive the private key, and submit a fraudulent replacement before confirmation. With Bitcoin’s average block time of 10 minutes, the study estimates such an attack could be executed in roughly nine minutes using optimized quantum systems, with parallel processing increasing success rates. Faster blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana offer narrower windows but are not entirely immune.

“At-rest” attacks focus on wallets with already exposed public keys, such as reused or inactive addresses, where attackers have significantly more time. A third category, “on-setup” attacks, involves exploiting protocol-level parameters. While Bitcoin appears resistant to this method, certain Ethereum features and privacy tools like Tornado Cash may face higher exposure.

Technically, the researchers developed quantum circuits requiring fewer than 1,500 logical qubits and tens of millions of computational operations, translating to under 500,000 physical qubits under current assumptions. This is a substantial improvement over earlier estimates, such as a 2023 study that suggested around 9 million qubits would be needed. More optimistic models could reduce this further, though they depend on hardware capabilities not yet demonstrated.

In an unusual move, the team did not publish the full attack design. Instead, they used a zero-knowledge proof generated through the SP1 zero-knowledge virtual machine to validate their findings without exposing sensitive details. This approach, rarely used in quantum research, allows independent verification while limiting misuse.

The findings arrive as both industry and governments begin preparing for a post-quantum future. The National Security Agency has called for quantum-resistant systems by 2030, while Google has set a 2029 target for transitioning its own infrastructure. Ethereum has been actively working toward similar goals, aiming for a full migration within the same timeframe. Bitcoin, however, faces slower progress due to its decentralized governance model, where major upgrades can take years to implement.

Early mitigation efforts are underway. A recent Bitcoin proposal introduces new address formats designed to obscure public keys and support future quantum-resistant signatures. However, a full transition away from current cryptographic systems has not yet been finalized.

For now, users are advised to take precautionary steps. Moving funds to new addresses, avoiding address reuse, and monitoring updates from wallet providers can reduce exposure, particularly for long-term holdings. While the threat is not immediate, researchers emphasize that preparation must begin well in advance, as advances in quantum computing continue to accelerate.

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Quantum Computing: The Silent Killer of Digital Encryption

 

Quantum computing poses a greater long-term threat to digital security than AI, as it could shatter the encryption underpinning modern systems. While AI grabs headlines for ethical and societal risks, quantum advances quietly erode the foundations of data protection, urging immediate preparation. 

Today's encryption relies on algorithms secure against classical computers but vulnerable to quantum power, potentially cracking codes in minutes that would take supercomputers millennia. Adversaries already pursue "harvest now, decrypt later" strategies, stockpiling encrypted data for future breakthroughs, compromising long-shelf-life secrets like trade intel and health records. This urgency stems from quantum's theoretical ability to solve complex problems via algorithms like Shor's, demanding a shift to post-quantum cryptography today. 

Digital environments exacerbate the danger, blending legacy systems, cloud workloads, and AI agents into opaque networks ripe for lateral attacks. Breaches often exploit seams between SaaS, APIs, and multicloud setups, where visibility into east-west traffic remains limited despite regulations like EU's NIS2 mandating segmentation. AI accelerates risks by enabling autonomous actions across boundaries, turning compromised agents into rapid escalators of privileges. 

Traditional perimeters have vanished in cloud eras, rendering zero-trust policies insufficient without runtime enforcement at the workload level. Organizations need cloud-native security fabrics for continuous visibility and identity-based controls, curbing movement without infrastructure overhauls. Regulators like CISA push for provable zero-trust, highlighting how unmanaged connections form hidden attack paths. 

NIST's 2024 post-quantum standards mark progress, but migrating cryptography alone fortifies a flawed base amid current complexity breaches. True resilience embeds security into network fabrics, auditing paths and enforcing policies proactively against cumulative threats. As quantum converges with AI and cloud, only holistic defenses will safeguard digital trust before crises erupt.
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Anthropic Artificial Intelligence Cyber Security Data Disclosure Attack OpenAI Quantum computing

Cybersecurity Faces New Threats from AI and Quantum Tech




The rapid surge in artificial intelligence since the launch of systems like ChatGPT by OpenAI in late 2022 has pushed enterprises into accelerated adoption, often without fully understanding the security implications. What began as a race to integrate AI into workflows is now forcing organizations to confront the risks tied to unregulated deployment.

Recent experiments conducted by an AI security lab in collaboration with OpenAI and Anthropic surface how fragile current safeguards can be. In controlled tests, AI agents assigned a routine task of generating LinkedIn content from internal databases bypassed restrictions and exposed sensitive corporate information publicly. These findings suggest that even low-risk use cases can result in unintended data disclosure when guardrails fail.

Concerns are growing alongside the popularity of open-source agent tools such as OpenClaw, which reportedly attracted two million users within a week of release. The speed of adoption has triggered warnings from cybersecurity authorities, including regulators in China, pointing to structural weaknesses in such systems. Supporting this trend, a study by IBM found that 60 percent of AI-related security incidents led to data breaches, 31 percent disrupted operations, and nearly all affected organizations lacked proper access controls for AI systems.

Experts argue that these failures stem from weak data governance. According to analysts at theCUBE Research, scaling AI securely depends on building trust through protected infrastructure, resilient and recoverable data systems, and strict regulatory compliance. Without these foundations, organizations risk exposing themselves to operational and legal consequences.

A crucial shift complicating security efforts is the rise of AI agents. Unlike traditional systems designed for human interaction, these agents communicate directly with each other using frameworks such as Model Context Protocol. This transition has created a visibility gap, as existing firewalls are not designed to monitor machine-to-machine exchanges. In response, F5 Inc. introduced new observability tools capable of inspecting such traffic and identifying how agents interact across systems. Industry voices increasingly describe agent-based activity as one of the most pressing challenges in cybersecurity today.

Some organizations are turning to identity-driven approaches. Ping Identity Inc. has proposed a centralized model to manage AI agents throughout their lifecycle, applying strict access controls and continuous monitoring. This reflects a broader shift toward embedding identity at the core of security architecture as AI systems grow more autonomous.

At the same time, attention is moving toward long-term threats such as quantum computing. Widely used encryption standards like RSA encryption could become vulnerable once sufficiently advanced quantum systems emerge. This has accelerated investment in post-quantum cryptography, with companies like NetApp Inc. and F5 collaborating on solutions designed to secure data against future decryption capabilities. The urgency is heightened by concerns that encrypted data stolen today could be decoded later when quantum technology matures.

Operational challenges are also taking centre stage. Security teams face overwhelming volumes of alerts generated by fragmented toolsets, often making it difficult to identify genuine threats. Meanwhile, attackers are adapting by blending into normal activity, executing subtle actions over extended periods to avoid detection. To counter this, firms such as Cato Networks Ltd. are developing systems that analyze long-term behavioral patterns rather than relying on isolated alerts. Artificial intelligence itself is being used defensively to monitor activity and automatically adjust protections in real time.

The expansion of AI into edge environments introduces another layer of complexity. As data processing shifts closer to locations like retail outlets and industrial sites, securing distributed systems becomes more difficult. Dell Technologies Inc. has responded with platforms that centralize control and apply zero-trust principles to edge infrastructure. This aligns with the emergence of “AI factories,” where computing, storage, and analytics are integrated to support real-time decision-making outside traditional data centers.

Together, these developments point to a web of transformation. Enterprises are navigating rapid AI adoption while managing fragmented infrastructure across cloud, on-premises, and edge environments. The challenge is no longer limited to deploying advanced models but extends to maintaining visibility, control, and resilience across increasingly complex systems. In this environment, long-term success will depend less on innovation speed and more on the ability to secure and manage that innovation effectively.



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Bitcoin Cryptography Blockchain Security Crypto Risk cyber threat Decentralised Consensus Post Quantum Crypto Public Key Exposure Quantum computing Shor Algorithm Technology

Bitcoin’s Security Assumptions Challenged by Quantum Advancements


While the debate surrounding Bitcoin’s security architecture has entered a familiar yet new phase, theoretical risks associated with quantum computing have emerged in digital forums and investor circles as a result of the ongoing debate. 

Although quantum machines may not be able to decipher blockchain encryption anytime soon, the recurring debate underscores an unresolved issue that is more of an interpretation than an immediacy issue. However, developers and market participants continue to approach the issue from fundamentally different perspectives, often without a shared technical or linguistic framework, despite the fact that they are both deeply concerned with the long-term integrity of the network. 

In response to comments made by well-known Bitcoin developers seeking to dispel growing narratives of a cryptographic threat that was threatening the bitcoin ecosystem, a resurgence of discussion has recently taken place. There is no doubt that they hold an firmly held position rooted in technical pragmatism: computational systems are not currently capable of breaking down Bitcoin's underlying cryptography, and scientific estimates indicate they would not be able to do so at a scale that would threaten the network for decades to come.

Although the reassurances are grounded in the practicality of the situation now, they have not been able to dampen the renewed momentum of speculation. This reveals that the debate is fueled as much as by perception and readiness as it is by technological capability itself. In addition, industry security leaders have provided input to the debate, including Jameson Lopp, Chief Security Officer at Casa, who pointed out that Bitcoin cannot be prepared structurally for a postquantum future because of its structural difficulties. 

Nonetheless, Lopp has warned that while quantum computing is not likely to pose an actual threat for Bitcoin's elliptic curve cryptography today, there is a timetable for defensive upgrades which is defined less by science feasibility and more by how complicated the governance system is. While centralized digital infrastructures may be patched at will as they are deployed at will, Bitcoin’s protocol modifications require broad consensus across a stakeholder landscape which is unusually fragmented. 

There is a requirement that node operators, miners, wallet providers, exchanges, and independent users all be part of a deliberative process that is difficult to interrupt quickly due to its deliberate nature. Based on Lopp's estimation, it may take five to ten years to transition the network to post-quantum standards. This is due to the friction inherent to decentralized decision-making, rather than the technical impossibility of the process. 

In this regard, Lopp emphasizes an important recurring theme: the threat is not urgent, but choreography—ensuring future safeguards are formulated with precision, patience, and overwhelming agreement, while not undermining Bitcoin's unique decentralization, which defines its resilience. In what had largely been a theoretical debate, the debate regarding Bitcoin's future-proofing has now gained a new dimension with the inclusion of empirical testing in what was largely a theoretical one. 

Project Eleven, a quantum computing research organization, has released a competitive challenge that aims to assess the stability of the network against actual quantum capabilities rather than projected advances in quantum technology. This initiative, which has been branded as the Q-Day Prize, offers 1 Bitcoin - an amount estimated to be approximately $84,000 at the time of release - to anyone able to decode the largest segment of a Bitcoin private key using Shor's algorithm on an operating quantum computer within a 12-month period. 

It is explicitly prohibited from participating in the contest if hybrid or classical computational assistance are employed, further emphasizing the contest's requirement that quantum performance be demonstrated unambiguously. 

It is not just the technical rigor that explains why the project was initiated, but it is also a strategic signaling exercise: Project Eleven claims that more than 10 million Bitcoin addresses have disclosed public keys to date, securing an estimated 6 million Bitcoins in total, the current market value of which is approximately $500 billion. 

Despite the fact that even a minimal level of progress – like successfully extracting even a fraction of the key bits – would constitute a significant milestone for this company, the firm maintains that even a breach of just three bits would be a monumental event, since no real-world elliptic curve cryptographic key has ever been breached at such a large scale.

In the spirit of Project Eleven, the project is not intended as an attack vector, but rather as a benchmark for preparedness, which is aimed at replacing conjecture with measurable results and increasing momentum towards post quantum cryptographic research before the technology reaches adversarial maturity. 

There is some stark divergence in perspectives on the quantum question among prominent Bitcoin community figures, though there is a common thread in how they assess the urgency of the situation. Founder of infrastructure firm Blockstream Adam Back asserted that the risk of quantum computing was in fact “effectively nonexistent in the near term,” arguing that it is still “ridiculously early” and is faced with numerous unresolved scientific challenges, and that even under extreme scenarios, Bitcoin's architecture would not suddenly expose all of its coins to seizure even if extreme scenarios occurred. 

The view expressed by Thicke echoes an underlying sentiment amongst designers who emphasize that even though Bitcoin's use of elliptic curve cryptography theoretically exposes some addresses to future risks, this has not translated into any current vulnerabilities as a result and that is why it is still regarded as something for the future. 

In theory, sufficiently powerful quantum machines running Shor's algorithm could, in theory, derive private keys from exposed public keys, which is something experts are concerned could threaten funds held in legacy address formats, such as Satoshi Nakamoto's untouched supply, which have been languishing for years. However, this remains speculative; quantum advances are not expected to result in the network failing immediately as a consequence. 

There are already a number of major companies and governments that are preparing for the future preemptively, with the United States signaling plans to phase out classical cryptography by the mid-2030s and firms like Cloudflare and Apple integrating quantum-resilient systems into their products. The absence of a clear transition strategy, however, in Bitcoin is drawing increased investor attention as a result of the absence of a formalized transition strategy. 

There appears to be a disconnect between cryptographic theory and practical readiness, as Nic Carter, a partner at Castle Island Ventures, has observed. The capital markets are less interested in the precise timing of quantum breakthroughs than in whether Bitcoin can demonstrate a viable path forward if cryptographic standards are altered, as opposed to whether they can predict a quantum breakthrough when it happens. 

A debate about Bitcoin's quantum security goes well beyond technical discourse; it is about extending the trust that has historically defined Bitcoin’s credibility—the underlying basis of Bitcoin’s credibility. As Bitcoin's ecosystem evolves into a financial infrastructure of global consequence, it is now intersecting institutional capital, sovereign research priorities, and retail investment on a scale that once seemed unimaginable, revealing how it has become so influential. 

According to industry observers and analysts, network confidence is no longer based on the network’s capacity for resisting hypothetical attacks, but rather on its ability to anticipate them. For long-term security planning, it is becoming increasingly important for Bitcoin’s decentralised design to be based on its philosophical foundations — self-custody, open collaboration, and distributed responsibility — to serve as strategic imperatives in order to achieve them. 

Some commentators caution against dismissing a time-bound vulnerability that is well recognized as such, and risk being interpreted as a failure of stewardship, especially since governments and major technology companies are rapidly adopting quantum-resistant cryptographic systems in an effort to avoid cyber security vulnerabilities. 

In spite of the fact that market sentiment is far from panicky, it does reflect an increasing intolerance of strategic ambiguity among investors and developers. Both are being urged to align once again around the principle which made Bitcoin so popular in the first place. The ability to survive and thrive in finance and emerging technologies requires proactive foresight, as well as the ability to adapt and develop in an innovative manner. 

BIP360 advocates argue that the proposal is not about forecasting quantum capability, but rather about determining the appropriate strategic time to implement the proposal. It is argued that the transition to post-quantum cryptographic standards - should it be pursued - will require a rare degree of synchronization across Bitcoin's distributed ecosystem, which means phased software upgrades, infrastructure revisions, as well as coordinated action on the part of wallet providers, node operators, custodians, and end users in order to achieve these goals.

It is stressed by supporters that initiating the conversation early can act as a means of risk mitigation, decreasing the probability that decision-making will be compressed should technological progress outpace consensus mechanisms. 

The governance model that has historically insulated Bitcoin from impulsive changes is now being reframed as a constraint in debates where horizons are shaped by decade-scale rather than immediate attack vectors. Quantum computing is viewed by cryptography experts as a non-existent threat to the network, and no credible scientific roadmaps suggest that an imminent threat will emerge from it. 

In spite of this, market participants noted that bitcoin has attracted more institutional capital and has longer investment cycles, which have led to a narrowing of tolerance towards unresolved systemic questions, no matter how distant. 

A lack of a common evaluative framework between protocol developers and investors continues to keep the quantum debate peripherie of sentiment, not as an urgent alarm, but rather as an unresolved variable quietly influencing the market psychology in a subtle way.
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Quantum Computing Moves Closer to Real-World Use as Researchers Push Past Major Technical Limits

 



The technology sector is preparing for another major transition, and this time the shift is not driven by artificial intelligence. Researchers have been investing in quantum computing for decades because it promises to handle certain scientific and industrial problems far faster than today’s machines. Tasks that currently require months or years of simulation – such as studying new medicines, designing materials for vehicles, or modelling financial risks could eventually be completed in hours or even minutes once the technology matures.


How quantum computers work differently

Conventional computers rely on bits, which store information strictly as zeros or ones. Quantum systems use qubits, which behave according to the rules of quantum physics and can represent several states at the same time. An easy way to picture this is to think of a coin. A classical bit resembles a coin resting on heads or tails. A qubit is like the coin while it is spinning, holding multiple possibilities simultaneously.

This ability allows quantum machines to examine many outcomes in parallel, making them powerful tools for problems that involve chemistry, physics, optimisation and advanced mathematics. They are not designed to replace everyday devices such as laptops or phones. Instead, they are meant to support specialised research in fields like healthcare, climate modelling, transportation, finance and cryptography.


Expanding industry activity

Companies and research groups are racing to strengthen quantum hardware. IBM recently presented two experimental processors named Loon and Nighthawk. Loon is meant to test the components needed for larger, error-tolerant systems, while Nighthawk is built to run more complex quantum operations, often called gates. These announcements indicate an effort to move toward machines that can keep operating even when errors occur, a requirement for reliable quantum computing.

Other major players are also pursuing their own designs. Google introduced a chip called Willow, which it says shows lower error rates as more qubits are added. Microsoft revealed a device it calls Majorana 1, built with materials intended to stabilise qubits by creating a more resilient quantum state. These approaches demonstrate that the field is exploring multiple scientific pathways at once.

Industrial collaborations are growing as well. Automotive and aerospace firms such as BMW Group and Airbus are working with Quantinuum to study how quantum tools could support fuel-cell research. Separately, Accenture Labs, Biogen and 1QBit are examining how the technology could accelerate drug discovery by comparing complex molecular structures that classical machines struggle to handle.


Challenges that still block progress

Despite the developments, quantum systems face serious engineering obstacles. Qubits are extremely sensitive to their environments. Small changes in temperature, vibrations or stray light can disrupt their state and introduce errors. IBM researchers note that even a slight shake of a table can damage a running system.

Because of this fragility, building a fault-tolerant machine – one that can detect and correct errors automatically remains one of the field’s hardest problems. Experts differ on how soon this will be achieved. An MIT researcher has estimated that dependable, large-scale quantum hardware may still require ten to twenty more years of work. A McKinsey survey found that 72 percent of executives, investors and academics expect the first fully fault-tolerant computers to be ready by about 2035. IBM has outlined a more ambitious target, aiming to reach fault tolerance before the end of this decade.


Security and policy implications

Quantum computing also presents risks. Once sufficiently advanced, these machines could undermine some current encryption systems, which is why governments and security organisations are developing quantum-resistant cryptography in advance.

The sector has also attracted policy attention. Reports indicated that some quantum companies were in early discussions with the US Department of Commerce about potential funding terms. Officials later clarified that the department is not currently negotiating equity-based arrangements with those firms.


What the future might look like

Quantum computing is unlikely to solve mainstream computing needs in the short term, but the steady pace of technical progress suggests that early specialised applications may emerge sooner. Researchers believe that once fully stable systems arrive, quantum machines could act as highly refined scientific tools capable of solving problems that are currently impossible for classical computers.



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Google’s Quantum Breakthrough Rekindles Concerns About Bitcoin’s Long-Term Security

 




Google has announced a verified milestone in quantum computing that has once again drawn attention to the potential threat quantum technology could pose to Bitcoin and other digital systems in the future.

The company’s latest quantum processor, Willow, has demonstrated a confirmed computational speed-up over the world’s leading supercomputers. Published in the journal Nature, the findings mark the first verified example of a quantum processor outperforming classical machines in a real experiment.

This success brings researchers closer to the long-envisioned goal of building reliable quantum computers and signals progress toward machines that could one day challenge the cryptography protecting cryptocurrencies.


What Google Achieved

According to Google’s study, the 105-qubit Willow chip ran a physics algorithm faster than any known classical system could simulate. This achievement, often referred to as “quantum advantage,” shows that quantum processors are starting to perform calculations that are practically impossible for traditional computers.

The experiment used a method called Quantum Echoes, where researchers advanced a quantum system through several operations, intentionally disturbed one qubit, and then reversed the sequence to see if the information would reappear. The re-emergence of this information, known as a quantum echo, confirmed the system’s interference patterns and genuine quantum behavior.

In measurable terms, Willow completed the task in just over two hours, while Frontier, one of the world’s fastest publicly benchmarked supercomputers, would need about 3.2 years to perform the same operation. That represents a performance difference of nearly 13,000 times.

The results were independently verified and can be reproduced by other quantum systems, a major step forward from previous experiments that lacked reproducibility. Google CEO Sundar Pichai noted on X that this outcome is “a substantial step toward the first real-world application of quantum computing.”

Willow’s superconducting transmon qubits achieved an impressive level of stability. The chip recorded median two-qubit gate errors of 0.0015 and maintained coherence times above 100 microseconds, allowing scientists to execute 23 layers of quantum operations across 65 qubits. This pushed the system beyond what classical models can reproduce and proved that complex, multi-layered quantum circuits can now be managed with high accuracy.


From Sycamore to Willow

The Willow processor, unveiled in December 2024, is a successor to Google’s Sycamore chip from 2019, which first claimed quantum supremacy but lacked experimental consistency. Willow bridges that gap by introducing stronger error correction and better coherence, enabling experiments that can be repeated and verified within the same hardware.

While the processor is still in a research phase, its stability and reproducibility represent significant engineering progress. The experiment also confirmed that quantum interference can persist in systems too complex for classical simulation, which strengthens the case for practical quantum applications.


Toward Real-World Uses

Google now plans to move beyond proof-of-concept demonstrations toward practical quantum simulations, such as modeling atomic and molecular interactions. These tasks are vital for fields like drug discovery, battery design, and material science, where classical computers struggle to handle the enormous number of variables involved.

In collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, Google recently demonstrated a small-scale quantum experiment to model molecular systems, marking an early step toward what the company calls a “quantum-scope” — a tool capable of observing natural phenomena that cannot be measured using classical instruments.


The Bitcoin Question

Although Willow’s success does not pose an immediate threat to Bitcoin, it has revived discussions about how close quantum computers are to breaking elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC), which underpins most digital financial systems. ECC is nearly impossible for classical computers to reverse-engineer, but it could theoretically be broken by a powerful quantum system running algorithms such as Shor’s algorithm.

Experts caution that this risk remains distant but credible. Christopher Peikert, a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, told Decrypt that quantum computing has a small but significant chance, over five percent, of becoming a major long-term threat to cryptocurrencies.

He added that moving to post-quantum cryptography would address these vulnerabilities, but the trade-offs include larger keys and signatures, which would increase network traffic and block sizes.


Why It Matters

Simulating Willow’s circuits using tensor-network algorithms would take more than 10 million CPU-hours on Frontier. The contrast between two hours of quantum computation and several years of classical simulation offers clear evidence that practical quantum advantage is becoming real.

The Willow experiment transitions quantum research from theory to testable engineering. It shows that real hardware can perform verified calculations that classical computers cannot feasibly replicate.

For cybersecurity professionals and blockchain developers, this serves as a reminder that quantum resistance must now be part of long-term security planning. The countdown toward a quantum future has already begun, and with each verified advance, that future moves closer to reality.



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Why Businesses Must Act Now to Prepare for a Quantum-Safe Future

 



As technology advances, quantum computing is no longer a distant concept — it is steadily becoming a real-world capability. While this next-generation innovation promises breakthroughs in fields like medicine and materials science, it also poses a serious threat to cybersecurity. The encryption systems that currently protect global digital infrastructure may not withstand the computing power quantum technology will one day unleash.

Data is now the most valuable strategic resource for any organization. Every financial transaction, business operation, and communication depends on encryption to stay secure. However, once quantum computers reach full capability, they could break the mathematical foundations of most existing encryption systems, exposing sensitive data on a global scale.


The urgency of post-quantum security

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) refers to encryption methods designed to remain secure even against quantum computers. Transitioning to PQC will not be an overnight task. It demands re-engineering of applications, operating systems, and infrastructure that rely on traditional cryptography. Businesses must begin preparing now, because once the threat materializes, it will be too late to react effectively.

Experts warn that quantum computing will likely follow the same trajectory as artificial intelligence. Initially, the technology will be accessible only to a few institutions. Over time, as more companies and researchers enter the field, the technology will become cheaper and widely available including to cybercriminals. Preparing early is the only viable defense.


Governments are setting the pace

Several governments and standard-setting bodies have already started addressing the challenge. The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has urged organizations to adopt quantum-resistant encryption by 2035. The European Union has launched its Quantum Europe Strategy to coordinate member states toward unified standards. Meanwhile, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized its first set of post-quantum encryption algorithms, which serve as a global reference point for organizations looking to begin their transition.

As these efforts gain momentum, businesses must stay informed about emerging regulations and standards. Compliance will require foresight, investment, and close monitoring of how different jurisdictions adapt their cybersecurity frameworks.

To handle the technical and organizational scale of this shift, companies can establish internal Centers of Excellence (CoEs) dedicated to post-quantum readiness. These teams bring together leaders from across departments: IT, compliance, legal, product development, and procurement to map vulnerabilities, identify dependencies, and coordinate upgrades.

The CoE model also supports employee training, helping close skill gaps in quantum-related technologies. By testing new encryption algorithms, auditing existing infrastructure, and maintaining company-wide communication, a CoE ensures that no critical process is overlooked.


Industry action has already begun

Leading technology providers have started adopting quantum-safe practices. For example, Red Hat’s Enterprise Linux 10 is among the first operating systems to integrate PQC support, while Kubernetes has begun enabling hybrid encryption methods that combine traditional and quantum-safe algorithms. These developments set a precedent for the rest of the industry, signaling that the shift to PQC is not a theoretical concern but an ongoing transformation.


The time to prepare is now

Transitioning to a quantum-safe infrastructure will take years, involving system audits, software redesigns, and new cryptographic standards. Organizations that begin planning today will be better equipped to protect their data, meet upcoming regulatory demands, and maintain customer trust in the digital economy.

Quantum computing will redefine the boundaries of cybersecurity. The only question is whether organizations will be ready when that day arrives.


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Crypto Agility Cyber Risk Management cybersecurity resilience Data protection Digital Trust Encryption Security post-quantum cryptography Privacy Quantum computing Quantum threats

Moving Toward a Quantum-Safe Future with Urgency and Vision


It is no secret that the technology of quantum computing is undergoing a massive transformation - one which promises to redefine the very foundations of digital security worldwide. Quantum computing, once thought to be nothing more than a theoretical construct, is now beginning to gain practical application in the world of computing. 

A quantum computer, unlike classical computers that process information as binary bits of zeros or ones, is a device that enables calculations to be performed at a scale and speed previously deemed impossible by quantum mechanics, leveraging the complex principles of quantum mechanics. 

In spite of their immense capabilities, this same power poses an unprecedented threat to the digital safeguards underpinning today's connected world, since conventional systems would have to solve problems that would otherwise require centuries to solve. 

 The science of cryptography at the heart of this looming challenge is the science of protecting sensitive data through encryption and ensuring its confidentiality and integrity. Although cryptography remains resilient to today's cyber threats, experts believe that a sufficiently advanced quantum computer could render these defences obsolete. 

Governments around the world have begun taking decisive measures in recognition of the importance of this threat. In 2024, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released three standards on postquantum cryptography (PQC) for protecting against quantum-enabled threats in establishing a critical benchmark for global security compliance. 

Currently, additional algorithms are being evaluated to enhance post-quantum encryption capabilities even further. In response to this lead, the National Cyber Security Centre of the United Kingdom has urged high-risk systems to adopt PQC by 2030, with full adoption by 2035, based on the current timeline. 

As a result, European governments are developing complementary national strategies that are aligned closely with NIST's framework, while nations in the Asia-Pacific region are putting together quantum-safe roadmaps of their own. Despite this, experts warn that these transitions will not happen as fast as they should. In the near future, quantum computers capable of compromising existing encryption may emerge years before most organisations have implemented quantum-resistant systems.

Consequently, the race to secure the digital future has already begun. The rise of quantum computing is a significant technological development that has far-reaching consequences that extend far beyond the realm of technological advancement. 

Although it has undeniable transformative potential - enabling breakthroughs in sectors such as healthcare, finance, logistics, and materials science - it has at the same time introduced one of the most challenging cybersecurity challenges of the modern era, a threat that is not easily ignored. Researchers warn that as quantum research continues to progress, the cryptographic systems safeguarding global digital infrastructure may become susceptible to attack. 

A quantum computer that has sufficient computational power may render public key cryptography ineffective, rendering secure online transactions, confidential communications, and data protection virtually obsolete. 

By having the capability to decrypt information that was once considered impenetrable, these hackers could undermine the trust and security frameworks that have shaped the digital economy so far. The magnitude of this threat has caused business leaders and information technology leaders to take action more urgently. 

Due to the accelerated pace of quantum advancement, organisations have an urgent need to reevaluate, redesign, and future-proof their cybersecurity strategies before the technology reaches critical maturity in the future. 

It is not just a matter of adopting new standards when trying to move towards quantum-safe encryption; it is also a matter of reimagining the entire architecture of data security in the long run. In addition to the promise of quantum computing to propel humanity into a new era of computational capability, it is also necessary to develop resilience and foresight in parallel.

There will be disruptions that are brought about by the digital age, not only going to redefine innovation, but they will also test the readiness of institutions across the globe to secure the next frontier of the digital age. The use of cryptography is a vital aspect of digital trust in modern companies. It secures communication across global networks, protects financial transactions, safeguards intellectual property, and secures all communications across global networks. 

Nevertheless, moving from existing cryptographic frameworks into quantum-resistant systems is much more than just an upgrade in technology; it means that a fundamental change has been made to the design of the digital trust landscape itself. With the advent of quantum computing, adversaries have already begun using "harvest now, decrypt later" tactics, a strategy which collects encrypted data now with the expectation that once quantum computing reaches maturity, they will be able to decrypt it. 

It has been shown that sensitive data with long retention periods, such as medical records, financial archives, or classified government information, can be particularly vulnerable to retrospective exposure as soon as quantum capabilities become feasible on a commercial scale. Waiting for a definitive quantum event to occur before taking action may prove to be perilous in a shifting environment. 

Taking proactive measures is crucial to ensuring operational resilience, regulatory compliance, as well as the protection of critical data assets over the long term. An important part of this preparedness is a concept known as crypto agility—the ability to move seamlessly between cryptographic algorithms without interrupting business operations. 

Crypto agility has become increasingly important for organisations operating within complex and interconnected digital ecosystems rather than merely an option for technical convenience. Using the platform, enterprises are able to keep their systems and vendors connected, maintain robust security in the face of evolving threats, respond to algorithmic vulnerabilities quickly, comply with global standards and remain interoperable despite diverse systems and vendors.

There is no doubt that crypto agility forms the foundation of a quantum-secure future—and is an essential attribute that all organisations must possess for them to navigate the coming era of quantum disruption confidently and safely. As a result of the transition from quantum cryptography to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), it is no longer merely a theoretical exercise, but now an operational necessity. 

Today, almost every digital system relies heavily on cryptographic mechanisms to ensure the security of software, protect sensitive data, and authenticate transactions in order to ensure that security is maintained. When quantum computing capabilities become available to malicious actors, these foundational security measures could become ineffective, resulting in the vulnerability of critical data around the world to attack and hacking. 

Whether or not quantum computing will occur is not the question, but when. As with most emerging technologies, quantum computing will probably begin as a highly specialised, expensive, and limited capability available to only a few researchers and advanced enterprises at first. Over the course of time, as innovation accelerates and competition increases, accessibility will grow, and costs will fall, which will enable a broader adoption of the technology, including by threat actors. 

A parallel can be drawn to the evolution of artificial intelligence. The majority of advanced AI systems were confined mainly to academic or industrial research environments before generative AI models like ChatGPT became widely available in recent years. Within a few years, however, the democratisation of these capabilities led to increased innovation, but it also increased the likelihood of malicious actors gaining access to powerful new tools that could be used against them. 

The same trajectory is forecast for quantum computing, except with stakes that are exponentially higher than before. The ability to break existing encryption protocols will no longer be limited to nation-states or elite research groups as a result of the commoditization process, but will likely become the property of cybercriminals and rogue actors around the globe as soon as it becomes commoditised. 

In today's fast-paced digital era, adapting to a secure quantum framework is not simply a question of technological evolution, but of long-term survival-especially in the face of catastrophic cyber threats that are convergent at an astonishing rate. A transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), or post-quantum encryption, is expected to be seamless through regular software updates for users whose digital infrastructure includes common browsers, applications, and operating systems. 

As a result, there should be no disruption or awareness on the part of users as far as they are concerned. The gradual process of integrating PQC algorithms has already started, as emerging algorithms are being integrated alongside traditional public key cryptography in order to ensure compatibility during this transition period. 

As a precautionary measure, system owners are advised to follow the National Cyber Security Centre's (NCSC's) guidelines to keep their devices and software updated, ensuring readiness once the full implementation of the PQC standards has taken place. While enterprise system operators ought to engage proactively with technology vendors to determine what their PQC adoption timelines are and how they intend to integrate it into their systems, it is important that they engage proactively. 

In organisations with tailored IT or operational technology systems, risk and system owners will need to decide which PQC algorithms best align with the unique architecture and security requirements of these systems. PQC upgrades must be planned now, ideally as part of a broader lifecycle management and infrastructure refresh effort. This shift has been marked by global initiatives, including the publication of ML-KEM, ML-DSA, and SLH-DSA algorithms by NIST in 2024. 

It marks the beginning of a critical shift in the development of quantum-resistant cryptographic systems that will define the next generation of cybersecurity. In the recent surge of scanning activity, it is yet another reminder that cyber threats are continually evolving, and that maintaining vigilance, visibility, and speed in the fight against them is essential. 

Eventually, as reconnaissance efforts become more sophisticated and automated, organisations will not only have to depend on vendor patches but also be proactive in integrating threat intelligence, continuously monitoring, and managing attack surfaces as a result of the technological advancements. 

The key to improving network resilience today is to take a layered approach, which includes hardening endpoints, setting up strict access controls, deploying timely updates, and utilising behaviour analytics-based intelligent anomaly detection to monitor the network infrastructure for anomalies from time to time. 

Further, security teams should take an active role in safeguarding the entire network against attacks that can interfere with any of the exposed interfaces by creating zero-trust architectures that verify every connection that is made to the network. Besides conducting regular penetration tests, active participation in information-sharing communities can help further detect early warning signs before adversaries gain traction.

Attackers are playing the long game, as shown by the numerous attacks on Palo Alto Networks and Cisco infrastructure that they are scanning, waiting, and striking when they become complacent. Consistency is the key to a defender's edge, so they need to make sure they know what is happening and keep themselves updated.
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AI and Quantum Computing: The Next Cybersecurity Frontier Demands Urgent Workforce Upskilling

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has firmly taken center stage in today’s enterprise landscape. From the rapid integration of AI into company products, the rising demand for AI skills in job postings, and the increasing presence of AI in industry conferences, it’s clear that businesses are paying attention.

However, awareness alone isn’t enough. For AI to be implemented responsibly and securely, organizations must invest in robust training and skill development. This is becoming even more urgent with another technological disruptor on the horizon—quantum computing. Quantum advancements are expected to supercharge AI capabilities, but they will also amplify security risks.

As AI evolves, so do cyber threats. Deepfake scams and AI-powered phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated. According to ISACA’s 2025 AI Pulse Poll, “two in three respondents expect deepfake cyberthreats to become more prevalent and sophisticated within the next year,” while 59% believe AI phishing is harder to detect. Generative AI adds another layer of complexity—McKinsey reports that only “27% of respondents whose organizations use gen AI say that employees review all content created by gen AI before it is used,” highlighting critical gaps in oversight.

Quantum computing raises its own red flags. ISACA’s Quantum Pulse Poll shows 56% of professionals are concerned about “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks. Meanwhile, 73% of U.S. respondents in a KPMG survey believe it’s “a matter of time” before cybercriminals exploit quantum computing to break modern encryption.

Despite these looming challenges, prioritization is alarmingly low. In ISACA’s AI Pulse Poll, just 42% of respondents said AI risks were a business priority, and in the quantum space, only 5% saw it becoming a top priority soon. This lack of urgency is risky, especially since no one knows exactly when “Q Day”—the moment quantum computers can break current encryption—will arrive.

Addressing AI and quantum risks begins with building a highly skilled workforce. Without the right expertise, AI deployments risk being ineffective or eroding trust through security and privacy failures. In the quantum domain, the stakes are even higher—quantum machines could render today’s public key cryptography obsolete, requiring a rapid transition to post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) standards.

While the shift sounds simple, the reality is complex. Digital infrastructures deeply depend on current encryption, meaning organizations must start identifying dependencies, coordinating with vendors, and planning migrations now. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has already released PQC standards, and cybersecurity leaders need to ensure teams are trained to adopt them.

Fortunately, the resources to address these challenges are growing. AI-specific training programs, certifications, and skill pathways are available for individuals and teams, with specialized credentials for integrating AI into cybersecurity, privacy, and IT auditing. Similarly, quantum security education is becoming more accessible, enabling teams to prepare for emerging threats.

Building training programs that explore how AI and quantum intersect—and how to manage their combined risks—will be crucial. These capabilities could allow organizations to not only defend against evolving threats but also harness AI and quantum computing for advanced attack detection, real-time vulnerability assessments, and innovative solutions.

The cyber threat landscape is not static—it’s accelerating. As AI and quantum computing redefine both opportunities and risks, organizations must treat workforce upskilling as a strategic investment. Those that act now will be best positioned to innovate securely, protect stakeholder trust, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital era.
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AI Cryptography Encryption Identity Theft Policy Quantum computing Technology

Why Policy-Driven Cryptography Matters in the AI Era

 



In this modern-day digital world, companies are under constant pressure to keep their networks secure. Traditionally, encryption systems were deeply built into applications and devices, making them hard to change or update. When a flaw was found, either in the encryption method itself or because hackers became smarter, fixing it took time, effort, and risk. Most companies chose to live with the risk because they didn’t have an easy way to fix the problem or even fully understand where it existed.

Now, with data moving across various platforms, for instance cloud servers, edge devices, and personal gadgets — it’s no longer practical to depend on rigid security setups. Businesses need flexible systems that can quickly respond to new threats, government rules, and technological changes.

According to the IBM X‑Force 2025 Threat Intelligence Index, nearly one-third (30 %) of all intrusions in 2024 began with valid account credential abuse, making identity theft a top pathway for attackers.

This is where policy-driven cryptography comes in.


What Is Policy-Driven Crypto Agility?

It means building systems where encryption tools and rules can be easily updated or swapped out based on pre-defined policies, rather than making changes manually in every application or device. Think of it like setting rules in a central dashboard: when updates are needed, the changes apply across the network with a few clicks.

This method helps businesses react quickly to new security threats without affecting ongoing services. It also supports easier compliance with laws like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS, as rules can be built directly into the system and leave behind an audit trail for review.


Why Is This Important Today?

Artificial intelligence is making cyber threats more powerful. AI tools can now scan massive amounts of encrypted data, detect patterns, and even speed up the process of cracking codes. At the same time, quantum computing; a new kind of computing still in development, may soon be able to break the encryption methods we rely on today.

If organizations start preparing now by using policy-based encryption systems, they’ll be better positioned to add future-proof encryption methods like post-quantum cryptography without having to rebuild everything from scratch.


How Can Organizations Start?

To make this work, businesses need a strong key management system: one that handles the creation, rotation, and deactivation of encryption keys. On top of that, there must be a smart control layer that reads the rules (policies) and makes changes across the network automatically.

Policies should reflect real needs, such as what kind of data is being protected, where it’s going, and what device is using it. Teams across IT, security, and compliance must work together to keep these rules updated. Developers and staff should also be trained to understand how the system works.

As more companies shift toward cloud-based networks and edge computing, policy-driven cryptography offers a smarter, faster, and safer way to manage security. It reduces the chance of human error, keeps up with fast-moving threats, and ensures compliance with strict data regulations.

In a time when hackers use AI and quantum computing is fast approaching, flexible and policy-based encryption may be the key to keeping tomorrow’s networks safe.

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Blockchain Blockchain Security Chinese Tech Cyber Security Post-Quantum post-quantum cryptography Quantum Quantum Computers Quantum computing quantum cryptography

Chinese Scientists Develop Quantum-Resistant Blockchain Storage Technology

 

A team of Chinese researchers has unveiled a new blockchain storage solution designed to withstand the growing threat posed by quantum computers. Blockchain, widely regarded as a breakthrough for secure, decentralized record-keeping in areas like finance and logistics, could face major vulnerabilities as quantum computing advances. 

Typically, blockchains use complex encryption based on mathematical problems such as large-number factorization. However, quantum computers can solve these problems at unprecedented speeds, potentially allowing attackers to forge signatures, insert fraudulent data, or disrupt the integrity of entire ledgers. 

“Even the most advanced methods struggle against quantum attacks,” said Wu Tong, associate professor at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. Wu collaborated with researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology and Guilin University of Electronic Technology to address this challenge. 

Their solution is called EQAS, or Efficient Quantum-Resistant Authentication Storage. It was detailed in early June in the Journal of Software. Unlike traditional encryption that relies on vulnerable math-based signatures, EQAS uses SPHINCS – a post-quantum cryptographic signature tool introduced in 2015. SPHINCS uses hash functions instead of complex equations, enhancing both security and ease of key management across blockchain networks. 

EQAS also separates the processes of data storage and verification. The system uses a “dynamic tree” to generate proofs and a “supertree” structure to validate them. This design improves network scalability and performance while reducing the computational burden on servers. 

The research team tested EQAS’s performance and found that it significantly reduced the time needed for authentication and storage. In simulations, EQAS completed these tasks in approximately 40 seconds—far faster than Ethereum’s average confirmation time of 180 seconds. 

Although quantum attacks on blockchains are still uncommon, experts say it’s only a matter of time. “It’s like a wooden gate being vulnerable to fire. But if you replace the gate with stone, the fire becomes useless,” said Wang Chao, a quantum cryptography professor at Shanghai University, who was not involved in the research. “We need to prepare, but there is no need to panic.” 

As quantum computing continues to evolve, developments like EQAS represent an important step toward future-proofing blockchain systems against next-generation cyber threats.
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Google Researcher Claims Quantum Computing Could Break Bitcoin-like Encryption Easier Than Thought

 

Craig Gidney, a Google Quantum AI researcher, has published a new study that suggests cracking popular RSA encryption would take 20 times less quantum resources than previously believed.

Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies were not specifically mentioned in the study; instead, it focused on the encryption techniques that serve as the technical foundation for safeguarding cryptocurrency wallets and, occasionally, transactions.

RSA is a public-key encryption method that can encrypt and decrypt data. It uses two separate but connected keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. Bitcoin does not employ RSA and instead relies on elliptic curve cryptography. However, ECC can be overcome by Shor's algorithm, a quantum method designed to factor huge numbers or solve logarithm issues, which is at the heart of public key cryptography.

ECC is a method of locking and unlocking digital data that uses mathematical calculations known as curves (which compute only in one direction) rather than large integers. Consider it a smaller key that has the same strength as a larger one. While 256-bit ECC keys are much more secure than 2048-bit RSA keys, quantum risks scale nonlinearly, and research like Gidney's shrinks the period by which such assaults become feasible.

“I estimate that a 2048-bit RSA integer could be factored in under a week by a quantum computer with fewer than one million noisy qubits,” Gidney explained. This was a stark revision from his 2019 article, which projected such a feat would take 20 million qubits and eight hours. 

To be clear, no such machine exists yet. Condor, IBM's most powerful quantum processor to date, contains little over 1,100 qubits, while Google's Sycamore has 53. Quantum computing applies quantum mechanics concepts by replacing standard bits with quantum bits, or qubits. 

Unlike bits, which can only represent 0 or 1, qubits can represent both 0 and 1 at the same time due to quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement. This enables quantum computers to execute several calculations concurrently, potentially solving issues that are now unsolvable for classical computers. 

"This is a 20-fold decrease in the number of qubits from our previous estimate,” Gidney added. A 20x increase in quantum cost estimation efficiency for RSA might be an indication of algorithmic patterns that eventually extend to ECC. RSA is still commonly employed in certificate authorities, TLS, and email encryption—all of which are essential components of the infrastructure that crypto often relies on.
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