Quantum computing uses the principles of quantum mechanics to process information in ways ordinary computers can’t. It promises breakthroughs in chemistry, materials, optimisation and more. It also threatens the encryption that protects almost everything online. Practical, large-scale quantum computers are still years away, but the security preparations businesses need to make have already started. This guide explains how quantum computing works, where it stands in 2026, and what IT teams should do now.
How Quantum Computing Works
- Qubits: unlike classical bits, which are 0 or 1, qubits can exist in a superposition of both states at once.
- Entanglement: qubits can be linked so the state of one depends on another, allowing complex correlations.
- Interference: quantum algorithms amplify the probability of correct answers and cancel out wrong ones.
Together, these let quantum computers explore certain problems far more efficiently than classical machines. They won’t speed up everyday tasks like email or web hosting. They help with specific classes of problems.
Where Quantum Computing Stands in 2026
- Hardware is improving: companies including IBM, Google, Quantinuum, IonQ and others continue to increase qubit counts and quality. Google’s Willow chip, announced in December 2024, demonstrated important progress in quantum error correction.
- Error correction is the key challenge: qubits are fragile and error-prone. Useful, large-scale machines need many physical qubits per reliable “logical” qubit.
- Cloud access: businesses and researchers can experiment through services such as IBM Quantum, Amazon Braket and Azure Quantum.
- Practical advantage is still narrow: most real-world business benefits are expected in the coming years rather than today.
Potential Applications
- Chemistry and materials: simulating molecules for drugs, batteries and catalysts.
- Optimisation: logistics, scheduling and portfolio problems.
- Finance: risk modelling and pricing.
- Machine learning: research into quantum-enhanced algorithms.
The Security Issue: Quantum and Encryption
Much of today’s internet security relies on public-key cryptography, such as RSA and elliptic-curve algorithms, used in HTTPS, VPNs, SSH, email and digital signatures. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm could break these.
The urgent concern is “harvest now, decrypt later”: attackers can record encrypted data today and decrypt it once quantum computers are capable. Data that must stay confidential for many years, such as health, financial, legal or government records, is already at risk.
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
The response is post-quantum cryptography: new algorithms designed to resist both classical and quantum attacks.
- In August 2024, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published its first PQC standards: ML-KEM (FIPS 203) for key exchange, and ML-DSA (FIPS 204) and SLH-DSA (FIPS 205) for digital signatures. In 2025 NIST selected HQC as an additional key-exchange algorithm.
- NIST has proposed deprecating today’s vulnerable public-key algorithms by 2030 and disallowing them by 2035.
- Adoption has begun: major browsers and providers such as Cloudflare already use hybrid post-quantum key exchange for much of their TLS traffic, and OpenSSH 10 uses a hybrid ML-KEM key exchange by default.
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What IT Teams Should Do Now
- Build a cryptography inventory: where you use TLS, VPNs, SSH, code signing, certificates and encrypted storage, and which algorithms they use.
- Identify long-lived sensitive data that would still matter if decrypted in ten or more years.
- Keep software current: modern OpenSSL, OpenSSH, web servers and browsers are adding PQC support. Running supported, patched systems is the easiest path. See our Linux server hardening checklist.
- Aim for crypto-agility: design systems so algorithms can be changed without major rewrites.
- Ask vendors about their PQC roadmaps, especially for VPNs, HSMs, certificate authorities and cloud services.
- Plan, don’t panic: migration will take years. Start with planning and high-value systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will quantum computers break encryption?
No one knows exactly. Estimates range from several years to more than a decade. Because of “harvest now, decrypt later”, preparation needs to start well before then.
Will quantum computers replace normal computers?
No. They are specialised machines for particular problems and will work alongside classical computers, often accessed through the cloud.
Is symmetric encryption like AES safe?
Largely yes. Quantum attacks weaken symmetric encryption less severely. Using AES-256 provides a comfortable margin.
How VIPoint Can Help
VIPoint Solutions has secured and managed servers for hosting companies and businesses since 2012. Our engineers in Infopark, Kochi keep systems patched and configured to current cryptographic standards, run security audits and provide 24/7 server management.
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