US unveils new tools to withstand encryption-breaking quantum. Here's what experts are saying
Quantum computing brings significant opportunity — and cybersecurity risks.
New encryption algorithms have been designed to endure cyberattacks from quantum computers.
Industry experts told the World Economic Forum that the algorithms mark a “pivotal milestone” and are an “essential stepping stone.”
Earlier this month, a government lab in the United States released three highly anticipated encryption algorithms that were built to withstand cyberattacks from quantum computers.

The encryption standards, two of which were developed by IBM, can be used to “secure a wide range of electronic information, from confidential email messages to e-commerce transactions that propel the modern economy,” the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) said in a statement.

The release comes as quantum computing — which employs quantum mechanics to solve complex computing problems — continues to develop rapidly.

Quantum technology, experts say, creates enormous economic and scientific opportunities given its ability to significantly boost computing power, but also poses serious cybersecurity risks. This includes rendering current encryption tools obsolete. In fact, NIST warns that quantum computing devices with encryption-breaking capabilities could be developed within the next decade, threatening the “security and privacy of individuals, organizations and entire nations”.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda..../2024/08/us-tools-en