By Frank Landymore
Publication Date: 2026-03-28 14:30:00
On Wednesday, Google said it was moving up the date it needs to prepare for when quantum computers will be able to break current encryption algorithms to 2029, catching experts off-guard.
This hypothetical turning point, called Q Day, is an ominous reminder that advances in the world of quantum computing could have seismic implications in our information age that we need to prepare for, and not all of them good.
“Quantum computers will pose a significant threat to current cryptographic standards, and specifically to encryption and digital signatures,” Google said in its Wednesday announcement, penned by Heather Adkins, Google’s VP of security engineering, and Sophie Schmieg, a senior cryptography engineer at the company.
Classical computers use bits to store information in a binary state, either as a one or a zero….
