How Advances in Quantum Computing Could Reshape Cybersecurity

Growing concerns about the cyber risks posed by developments in quantum computing will be major focus at the upcoming Infosecurity Europe 2025 conference.

The quantum discussion will begin with an opening keynote by world renowned physicist Brian Cox on Tuesday June 3 at 10.10 BST, in a talk titled ‘Quantum Computers Might Change Everything, Eventually ….’

Cox will set out the principles behind quantum computing and its enormous potential, before delving into some of the technology’s fundamental challenges, particularly in regard to cybersecurity.

“I’m looking forward to exploring these ideas and the concept of black holes in quantum information storage and what they mean for the future of technology,” Cox commented.

Cox’s talk will be swiftly followed by a panel discussion on the keynote stage titled ‘Quantum Computing vs. Cybersecurity: The Next Arms Race,’ at 11.00.

Moderated by BBC Cyber Correspondent Joe Tidy, the session will set out why the quantum threat is relevant today, and the actions different types of organizations and industries must take in preparation.

The panel will be comprised of industry luminaries heavily involved in post-quantum technological developments, including from Santander and IBM.

Why Quantum is Top of the Cybersecurity Agenda

For a long time, quantum computing has felt like a remote prospect for many. However, experts have warned that the development of powerful quantum computers will be capable of breaking existing encryption protocols, placing all digitally secured data, connections and components at risk of exposure.

This is because quantum computers that can scale to a million qubits will be able to rapidly solve mathematical equations that make up current encryption protocols, such as RSA and AES.

The threat is arguably already present. Malicious actors are believed to be stockpiling encrypted data in anticipation of quantum technology maturing, in what are known as ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ attacks.

Recent developments have highlighted that powerful quantum computers are now on the near-term horizon, potentially within the next five years.

Notably, in February, Microsoft unveiled the world’s first quantum chip, named Majorana 1, which the firm said will help enable the creation of powerful quantum computers in “years, not decades.”

Research published in March by a group of organizations, including JPMorgan Chase and Quantinuum, announced the first experimentally demonstrated “certified randomness” by a quantum computer – essential the ability to generate random numbers.

This development paves the way towards the use of quantum computers for a practical task unattainable through classical computing.

The rapid rate of development of this technology means the race to secure current systems against quantum-enabled attacks is well and truly on.

Rolling Out Quantum-Secure Solutions

There are significant efforts at government levels to roll out quantum secure cryptographic solutions that are able to withstand quantum attacks.

Significantly, in August 2024, the US National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) formalized the world’s first post-quantum cryptography standards.

These standards encompass three post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms that provide quantum-resistant solutions for different types of systems and use cases. These include digital signatures to authenticate identities and key-encapsulation mechanisms to establish a shared secret key over a public channel.

NIST has urged organizations to begin preparing to transition their systems to quantum-secure solutions using these algorithms.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) set out guidance in March 2025 on how organizations can completely migrate their systems, services and products to PQC.

The phased approach sets a 2035 deadline for a full transition, providing sufficient time for an ecosystem of PQC products to take hold. It is expected that these products will be largely based on NIST’s PQC algorithms.

The NCSC guidance is primarily aimed at technical decision-makers and risk owners at large organizations, operators of critical national infrastructure systems, including industrial control systems, and companies that have bespoke IT.

Quantum-Secure Products Now a Key Focus Area

A number of major tech providers are already working on bespoke quantum-secure products, covering areas such as the cloud, banking and telecommunications.

In February 2025, Google announced the availability of quantum-safe digital signatures in its Cloud Key Management Service (Cloud KMS) for software-based keys. The signatures will support two PQC algorithms included in the NIST standards.

In March 2025, Cloudflare announced it has introduced PQC protections in its zero trust platform, allowing organizations to safeguard their corporate network traffic from potential quantum computing attacks without individually upgrading each application or system.

The quantum threat is particularly concerning for the financial sector given the highly sensitive data it holds and transactions it enables. It is believed that threat actors are heavily targeting this industry for the purpose of harvesting now, decrypting later.

As a result, banks have been at the forefront in developing quantum-secure solutions for sensitive data storage and communication. This includes UK-based bank HSBC, which successfully trialed the first application of quantum-secure technology for buying and selling tokenized physical gold in September 2024.

In telecommunications, Vodafone revealed in March 2025 that it is trialing new quantum-safe technology, designed to protect smartphone users from future quantum-enabled attacks while browsing the internet. The technology is being supported by cybersecurity firm Akamai.

In addition, several of the most popular internet browsers have now incorporated support for PQC into their communications stacks.

Learn More About Quantum Security at Infosecurity Europe

It is clear that quantum-secure solutions will be a critical aspect of the cybersecurity industry for the foreseeable future.

Register here to attend Infosecurity Europe and see the latest developments and research in quantum and the wider cybersecurity space.

The full program can be viewed here.

The 2025 event will celebrate the 30^th anniversary of Infosecurity Europe, taking place at the London ExCel from June 3-5, 2025.