Quantum computing may not be breaking today’s encryption yet, but the security risk is already here. The biggest concern isn’t future attacks, it’s the “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy, where cybercriminals steal encrypted data today with the expectation that powerful quantum computers will unlock it years from now. Organizations holding long-lived data like financial records, intellectual property, and customer information are especially exposed.
The article makes a compelling case that businesses should stop treating quantum security as a distant problem. Many companies still lack visibility into where their sensitive data lives or how well it’s protected, making a transition to post-quantum cryptography far more difficult than simply swapping encryption algorithms. Preparing for the quantum era starts with understanding and securing today’s data, because tomorrow’s breach may have already happened.