IS IT
Q-DAY?
Quantum computers are not powerful enough to break modern encryption. But progress is accelerating. If you're responsible for security at your organization, now is the time to prepare.
RSA-1024 will be broken first, impacting older websites that use legacy TLS, some VPNs and IoT devices.
Logical qubits have been demonstrated and early fault-tolerant operations are emerging. Scaling to thousands of high-fidelity logical qubits remains the critical barrier. Error correction and hardware engineering techniques are accelerating the timeline — be prepared for rapid advances.
The mathematical proof that quantum computers can factor large primes exponentially faster than classical supercomputers.
The current standard for internet security. Relying on integer factorization difficulty.
Adversaries are storing encrypted data today to decrypt it once Q-Day arrives.
Threat Briefing
01 / What is Q-Day?
The Cryptographic Breakpoint
Q Day is when quantum computers get smart enough to crack the encryption protecting your banking, messaging, crypto wallet, and government secrets. Experts used to say "don't worry, it's decades away!" Then 2040 became 2035. Now? RSA-1024 could break as early as 2028. At this rate, your passwords might expire before your milk.
These estimates are based on: Current quantum computing research progress, Algorithm capabilities, Quantum computing company's published roadmaps, Industry expert predictions.
02 / HNDL Attacks
Harvest Now, Decrypt Later
"Harvest now, decrypt later" is the cyberattack equivalent of buying wine to age in your cellar — except instead of wine, hackers are hoarding encrypted data they can't crack yet.
The strategy? Record today's "secure" communications knowing that quantum computers will eventually let them pop the cork on all those juicy secrets. Your bank transactions, government cables, corporate secrets — it's all getting archived for future decryption. Plot twist: they were playing the long game too.
03 / The Wallet Threat
Crypto & Private Keys
All major crypto wallets encrypt private keys with AES-256, which buys you some extra time. But once signatures are broken, having "encrypted" private keys is like having a really secure door... that you left wide open.
Attackers are already collecting blockchain transactions to reverse-engineer private keys later. Those Bitcoin wallets sitting untouched are prime targets.
General Internet Security
The stuff that keeps your browsing "private"
RSA-1024
Legacy TLS, embedded devicesStill lurking in: Old websites, VPNs, IoT devices
ECC-256
Your 'secure' messagingUsed by: iMessage, Signal, WhatsApp, Tor
AES-128
Wi-Fi & ZIP filesProtects: WPA2, encrypted archives
SHA-256
Digital fingerprintsVerifies: Git commits, SSL certs, file integrity
RSA-2048
Most of the internetPowers: HTTPS, banks, email, Windows code signing
AES-256
Government secretsSecures: NSA Suite B, Apple Secure Enclave
Ledger & Asset Security
Financial sovereignty at risk
BTC LEGACY
P2PKH / Reused AddressesSatoshi's stash & early miners are high priority targets.
ETH / EVM
Secp256k1 CurveRequires Account Abstraction (EIP-4337) to migrate keys.
SOLANA
Ed25519 SignaturesHigh throughput doesn't protect against key derivation.
MONERO
Ring SignaturesPrivacy features add complexity but not immunity.
HASHED KEYS
Cold Storage (P2SH)Safe if public key never exposed to the network.
Who's Prepared
Set a 2029 deadline to complete full post-quantum migration across Google. Android 17 now integrates ML-DSA for digital signature protection, marking a shift to prioritize authentication alongside encryption. Builds on existing hybrid ML-KEM rollout in Chrome and Google Cloud.
Chrome, Google Cloud, Android 17, internal comms
APPLE
PQC ImplementedApple released formally verified implementations of ML-KEM (FIPS 203) and ML-DSA (FIPS 204) in corecrypto, with published mathematical proofs. Verification caught a silent bug in ML-DSA that testing missed. Builds on PQ3 in iMessage and extends quantum-secure crypto to VPN and TLS.
iMessage, VPN, TLS networking
CLOUDFLARE
PQC ImplementedOver 65% of traffic to Cloudflare now uses post-quantum encryption (hybrid ML-KEM). Roadmap accelerated to complete full PQ migration by 2029, with new focus on authentication — protecting root certs, API keys, and code-signing keys from quantum impersonation. IPsec with hybrid ML-KEM now generally available.
CDN/TLS, IPsec, Cloudflare One
MICROSOFT
PQC ImplementedQuantum-resistant cryptography now generally available across Microsoft platforms. SymCrypt — Microsoft's core crypto library — ships ML-KEM, ML-DSA, and SLH-DSA (FIPS 203/204/205), the broadest algorithm coverage of any major vendor. TLS hybrid key exchange in preview via Windows Insider; broader server rollout in progress.
Windows Server 2025+, Windows 11, SymCrypt, Schannel, ADCS
AWS
PQC ImplementedHybrid post-quantum TLS (X25519MLKEM768) now default-on for Secrets Manager and rolling out across customer-facing AWS endpoints. ML-DSA digital signatures available in KMS and AWS Private CA. Pre-standard CRYSTALS-Kyber being phased out in 2026 in favor of NIST-standardized ML-KEM.
Secrets Manager, KMS, S3, CloudFront, ACM, Private CA
IBM
PQC ImplementedIBM Research scientists developed two of NIST's three published PQC standards (ML-KEM and ML-DSA); a co-developer of the third later joined IBM. Now redesigning Signal's group-messaging protocol for quantum safety — a ground-up rebuild that avoids a ~100x bandwidth blow-up from naive algorithm swaps. Also extending ML-KEM work with Threema.
NIST PQC standards (originator), Signal, Threema
META
PQC ImplementedMeta cryptographers co-authored HQC, one of NIST's newly selected post-quantum algorithms. Has begun rolling out post-quantum encryption across significant portions of internal Meta infrastructure as part of a multi-year migration. Published a PQC Migration Levels framework (Unaware through Enabled) to help organizations assess their readiness.
Internal Meta infrastructure, HQC standard (co-originator)
Global Regulations
Government PQC mandates worldwide
United States (NIST - Civilian)
NIST, OMB
- Aug 2024NIST released first 3 PQC standards (FIPS 203, 204, 205)
- 2030112-bit classical public-key deprecated
- 2035112-bit classical public-key disallowed
- Federal agencies must begin transition planning now
- OMB developing agency migration guidance
- Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act compliance
United States (NSA)
NSA, DoD
- Jan 2027All new NSS acquisitions must be CNSA 2.0 compliant by default
- Dec 2030CNSA 2.0 algorithms phase-out deadline for NSS
- Dec 2031CNSA 2.0 mandate effective for all National Security Systems
- National Security Systems priority implementation
- Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program guidance
- Hybrid approaches during transition period
European Union
ENISA, European Commission
- Apr 2024EU Recommendation on PQC published
- End 2026Member States must start PQC transition
- End 2030Critical infrastructures transitioned to PQC
- End 2035Full PQC transition across all EU systems
- Critical infrastructures transition "as soon as possible"
- Member States implement synchronised approach
- NIS Cooperation Group coordination mandatory
United Kingdom
NCSC
- 2028Cryptographic discovery and migration strategy complete
- 2031High-priority PQC upgrades finished
- 2035Full replacement of traditional public-key cryptography
- Organizations must issue formal PQC migration statements
- Asset discovery and PKI strategy development immediate
- Critical infrastructure prioritization
Japan
CRYPTREC, NISC, NICT
- 2024CRYPTREC PQC guidelines published
- OngoingTechnical reports and evaluation activities
- 2035Government agencies must complete PQC transition
- CRYPTREC evaluation of international PQC standards
- Government agencies coordination via quantum networks
- Industry collaboration on research and development
South Korea
KISA, Ministry of National Defense
- Jan 2025KpqC competition winners selected; pilot transition begins
- 2030Full-cycle PQC technology self-reliance
- 2035Full PQC rollout across public and private sectors
- National cryptography transformation commission
- 4 KpqC algorithms finalized as national PQC standards
- Cross-agency working group coordination
Australia
ASD, ACSC
- End 2028PQC transition must have begun for critical systems
- End 2030RSA, ECDSA, ECDH, DH, and SHA-256 disallowed
- End 2030PQC transition complete (ML-KEM-1024, ML-DSA-87 required)
- ML-KEM-1024 and ML-DSA-87 required for new cryptographic equipment by 2030
- ISM cryptography guidelines mandate compliance
- Continuous monitoring of international PQC developments
Canada
CSE, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
- Jun 2025Strategy becomes effective
- Apr 2026New federal contracts must include PQC procurement clauses
- 2031High-priority systems migration complete
- 2035All remaining systems transitioned
- Departmental PQC executive leads appointed
- Annual progress reporting mandatory
- CMVP validation required for all PQC products
China
Ministry of State Security, MIIT, CNCERT
- 2023National standards for quantum cryptography published
- Feb 2025ICCS launches NGCC algorithm call
- Jun 2026NGCC algorithm submission deadline
- ~2029National PQC standards expected to finalize
- State-owned enterprises must prioritize quantum-safe systems
- National quantum communication backbone deployment
- Indigenous PQC algorithms preferred for critical systems
Solution Providers
Companies leading the quantum-safe transition with practical solutions available today:
ID Quantique (IDQ)
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems and quantum random number generators for governments, banks, and data centers.
Toshiba Europe
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and quantum-safe metro-area networks with commercialized multiplexed QKD chip technology.
QuSecure
Post-quantum secure communication stack (QuProtect) and quantum-safe VPNs for federal and enterprise networks.
QuintessenceLabs
Quantum entropy as a service (QRNG) and PQC + QKD hybrid solutions integrated into Thales HSMs and security modules.
Aliro Quantum
Quantum network orchestration and software-defined QKD network design enabling quantum internet infrastructure.
BTQ Technologies Corp.
Post-Quantum Cryptography software and hardware solutions including quantum-safe blockchain infrastructure and PQC libraries.
Project Eleven
Post-quantum cryptography for digital assets, protecting wallets and blockchain infrastructure against quantum-enabled key recovery.
Arqit
European PQC technology provider delivering symmetric key agreement and quantum-safe encryption platforms for governments, defense, and enterprise.