---
title: "Researchers: Quantum Computers Could Become Ultimate Hacking Tool"
description: "## A Secure Threat"
date: "2018-12-05"
modified: "2018-12-05"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/researchers-quantum-computers-hacking-tool"
categories:
  - "Computers"
  - "Computing"
  - "Cybersecurity"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Hacking"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "encryption"
  - "quantum computing"
  - "quantum encryption"
  - "the digest"
---

# Researchers: Quantum Computers Could Become Ultimate Hacking Tool

![According to a new report, it could take 20 years for quantum-safe encryption to become mainstream. And that's bad news.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/researchers-quantum-computers-hacking-tool-2.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image:  National Institute of Standards and Technology/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## A Secure Threat

Cracking today's most secure encryption would either take a really long time or massive computing power.

But even the most secure data encryption algorithms could [soon become ineffective](<https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612509/quantum-computers-encryption-threat/>) — and it's all the fault of quantum computers.

## Quantum Hackers

The age of quantum computing is almost upon us. In a matter of years, quantum computers could become far more powerful than the digital computers we use now.

Harnessing the power of quantum computers could undermine current encryption methods in a matter of days. At least, that's according to a [new report](<https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25196/quantum-computing-progress-and-prospects>) by experts at the U.S. National Academics of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Their fear: significant security loopholes could crop up if hackers get their hands on powerful quantum computers before quantum-proof encryption methods become mainstream. Even worse, they predict it could take decades for those quantum-proof systems to roll out across banks, hospitals and other institutions that you don't want to get hacked.

## Quantum for the Masses

But not all is lost. Startups like ISARA, a Canadian firm, are already working on encryption methods that are resistant to quantum hacking, the *MIT Technology Review* [reports](<https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612509/quantum-computers-encryption-threat/>).

That's a good thing, because it's better to be safe than sorry.

**READ MORE:** [Quantum computers pose a security threat that we’re still totally unprepared for](<https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612509/quantum-computers-encryption-threat/>) \[MIT Technology Review\]

***More on quantum security:** [Quantum Video Call Displays the Future of Secure Communication](<https://futurism.com/quantum-video-secure-communication>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)