While poised to revolutionize science and technology, quantum computing presents a serious risk to global cybersecurity. Keith King, former Lead Engineer for the U.S. Presidential Direct Communications Link, emphasized that quantum computers could “break the internet” in a recent LinkedIn post. If hackers and other malicious actors access these computers, they could render today’s encryption and cybersecurity measures obsolete.
Modern encryption—used to secure everything from military communications to banking systems and medical data—relies on algorithms like RSA and ECC that depend on the difficulty of factoring large prime numbers. According to King, quantum computers can execute problems faster than classical machines using qubits and quantum superposition, potentially compromising all current cryptographic systems.
King highlights the vulnerability of national defense systems, financial institutions, and healthcare infrastructure if quantum decryption becomes a reality. This concern is echoed by cybersecurity experts such as Michele Mosca, who described today’s digital defenses as outdated. “It’s like a foundation for a three-story building, and then we built a 100-story skyscraper on it,” Mosca told Live Science. “And we’re kind of praying it’s OK.”
In response, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is leading efforts to establish post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) standards. These include algorithms based on lattice problems and hash functions, which are believed to be more resistant to quantum attacks, according to Live Science. Additionally, King suggests that techniques like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) could enable secure communications by making any interception of information immediately detectable.
In his post, King explains that while quantum computers capable of breaking encryption may still be years away, the time to implement quantum-safe solutions is now. “The world has a shrinking window to adapt and transition to quantum-safe systems,” he explained. “Whether we seize that opportunity will determine if quantum computing becomes a tool for progress — or a key to digital destruction.”