Category: Cyber Security | Published: 2026-04-16
Your Encrypted Data Could Already Be at Risk
Most businesses assume that their encrypted data is secure because no one can read it today. That assumption is increasingly difficult to sustain. Attackers are already harvesting encrypted information with the intention of decrypting it later, once quantum computing capabilities make that possible. The data being collected now could become readable in just a few years.
This tactic, known as store now, decrypt later, represents an immediate risk even though the quantum computers capable of breaking today's encryption do not yet exist. The digital security implications are profound, and Google has now put a specific date on how urgent the problem has become.
What Quantum Computing Means for Digital Security
To understand why quantum computing matters for digital security, it helps to know what current encryption is built on. Most internet security relies on cryptographic systems such as RSA and elliptic curve encryption. These work because certain mathematical problems, specifically factoring very large numbers, take an impractical amount of time for conventional computers to solve.
Quantum computers operate differently. Rather than processing one calculation at a time, they can explore many possible answers simultaneously using quantum mechanical properties. For specific types of mathematical problems, including the ones that underpin RSA and elliptic curve encryption, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could find answers in hours or days rather than millions of years.
The point at which a quantum computer becomes capable of breaking widely deployed encryption is referred to as Q-Day. When it arrives, the digital security architecture that currently protects banking, communications, government records, intellectual property, and personal data will need to be replaced entirely.
Google's 2029 Warning
Google has issued an updated assessment that brings forward the urgency of preparing for this transition. The company has set an internal target of completing its migration to quantum-resistant cryptography by 2029, significantly earlier than the mid-2030s timeframe that much of the industry had previously been working towards.
Google stated it is setting a timeline for post-quantum cryptography migration to 2029, explaining that the goal is to provide the clarity and urgency needed to accelerate digital transitions not only for Google but across the industry.
This is not a precise prediction that Q-Day will arrive in 2029. It is a signal that recent progress in quantum computing hardware development, error correction, and factoring resource estimates has been faster than expected, and that the window available for preparation is narrowing. For digital security planning purposes, the distinction matters less than the conclusion: organisations that treat quantum threats as a distant concern are miscalculating.
Google is also backing its warning with action. Android 17 will incorporate post-quantum cryptography digital signature protection using a standard called ML-DSA, aligned with guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Google has been deploying quantum-resistant encryption in Chrome and its internal systems for several years, and has been a key contributor to the global standards process for post-quantum cryptography.
Why the Timeline Has Moved Forward
The shift in urgency reflects concrete technical progress. Quantum error correction, which is one of the key challenges in building machines powerful enough to threaten real-world encryption, has advanced considerably. The resource estimates for what would be needed to break commonly used cryptographic algorithms have also been revised downward as researchers have identified more efficient approaches.
These are not incremental refinements. They represent a meaningful change in the expected trajectory of quantum computing development, and they explain why leading organisations in the field are revising their assessments of when digital security systems will need to be replaced.
The Gap Between Awareness and Readiness
Research across the industry consistently shows that while a majority of businesses are aware that quantum computing poses a threat to digital security, only a small proportion have a concrete plan in place to address it. The gap is not primarily one of knowledge. Most IT and security professionals understand that post-quantum migration will be necessary. The challenge is translating that awareness into action.
Part of the difficulty is scale. Transitioning from current cryptographic standards to quantum-resistant alternatives is not a single upgrade. It requires identifying every place in your systems where encryption is used, assessing which algorithms are at risk, replacing those algorithms across your infrastructure, testing compatibility with suppliers and partners, and doing all of this in a way that does not disrupt live services.
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre has described this transition as a complex change programme, highlighting that it is not something organisations can complete quickly once they decide to start.
What UK Businesses Should Be Doing Now
For most UK businesses, the immediate priority is not to complete a full post-quantum migration but to begin the groundwork that will make that migration manageable. The following steps are a practical starting point.
Build a cryptographic inventory. Identify where encryption is used across your systems, including data at rest, data in transit, digital signatures, and authentication mechanisms. Without this map, it is impossible to prioritise or plan.
Assess your exposure. Some data carries more long-term risk than others. Information that must remain confidential for ten or more years, such as medical records, legal documents, or sensitive intellectual property, is at greater risk from store now, decrypt later attacks than data with a short lifespan.
Develop crypto agility. Design or update systems so that cryptographic algorithms can be replaced without requiring complete rebuilds. This flexibility will make the eventual migration significantly less disruptive.
Engage your supply chain. Quantum computing threats to digital security rarely affect a single organisation in isolation. Assess whether your key suppliers and technology partners are themselves preparing for post-quantum cryptography, and include this in procurement and vendor reviews.
Stay current with standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has published its first post-quantum cryptographic standards. Monitoring UK and international guidance, including from the NCSC, will help ensure your planning remains aligned with the emerging consensus.
The message from Google and other leading organisations is consistent: the time to begin is now, not when Q-Day appears on the horizon. Businesses that start their quantum computing and digital security preparation today will be far better placed than those that wait.
If you want to understand how quantum computing developments affect your current cyber security posture and what steps to take, our team can help. Explore our cyber security services or contact Cloud Smart Solutions to start the conversation.