Quantum computing is no longer a far-off possibility. Experts predict a cryptographically relevant quantum computer, or CRQC, may arrive within the next three years. When it does, it will break our current encryption methods, exposing all the data they protected. Nation states and private hackers alike are preparing for that day by “harvesting” data now to decipher later. But reworking an agency’s total cryptography infrastructure to protect the data is a big project, one that takes time and money.

Luckily, the tools are available to mount a defense. By adopting security platforms that incorporate National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines and post-quantum cryptography, agencies can safeguard their data against both today’s threats and the quantum future. Multi-layer encryption and upgraded firewalls can provide the cryptographic agility to face whatever cyber risks tomorrow brings.

But the time to start is now, said Jim Smid, Principal Architect, Department of War and Intel Community, Palo Alto Networks. “We have nation states that are putting an incredible amount of money and research towards this. They will not tell us when they get that CRQC. They’re going to just start decrypting things. And it’s coming sooner than everybody’s prepared for.”

In this video, Smid discusses the urgency of quantum preparedness and how to begin defending data today. Topics include:

• Why the timeline for a CRQC has accelerated
• Why quantum codebreaking is already a threat
• What agencies must do to protect their data now