Google says ‘quantum apocalypse’ that could break the internet is more imminent than we thought

Google says that the “quantum apocalypse” that could break internet security as we know it is coming sooner than it had realised.

For years, computer experts have been worrying that once workable quantum computers are introduced, it could easily destroy the encryption that currently protects our information as it travels around the internet.

Current encryption is based on complex calculations that cannot be broken by even the most powerful computers. But quantum computers are expected to introduce entirely new kinds of processing, which are expected to allow them to explain scientific mysteries would allow them to get around current protections that secure our private chats and classified information.

Experts have even warned about the possibility of “store-now-decrypt-later” attacks, where criminals could steal information today and then keep it until quantum computers are able to break into it and make it valuable, making the threat even more urgent,.

That event has been referred to as the “quantum apocalypse” and security experts have spent recent years working on “post-quantum cryptography”, or PQC, which would allow information to remain secure even when those powerful computers are built.

Now, Google says that developments in quantum computing – including new hardware and better technology to control it – means that it is setting a timeline of 2029 to migrate to that PQC.

“As a pioneer in both quantum and PQC, it’s our responsibility to lead by example and share an ambitious timeline,” it wrote in an announcement. “By doing this, we hope to provide the clarity and urgency needed to accelerate digital transitions not only for Google, but also across the industry.”