When is Q-Day? Scientists predict date of quantum computing advance

"Known as 'Q-Day', this is the moment when quantum computers will crack open all of Earth's digital encryption. From then, any information not secured by 'post-quantum' protection will be laid bare - including financial transactions and military communications. So, when will this world-shattering moment arrive? The Daily Mail asked six experts on cybersecurity and quantum computing to give their predictions for when Q-Day might arrive. At the earliest, one scientist suggests that Q-Day could be upon us within two years. In contrast, others think it might take decades before quantum computing offers even the slightest threat to the world's digital security."

"Conventional computer chips, like those in your phone and laptop, use strings of ones and zeros called 'bits' to store and process information. Quantum computers, meanwhile, exploit the strange properties of matter at very small scales to process information using 'qubits', which can be 'one', 'zero' or both one and zero at the same time. Essentially, this allows quantum computers to solve multiple problems at once."

Q-Day denotes the moment when quantum computers will crack current digital encryption, exposing any information not secured by post-quantum methods, including financial transactions and military communications. Conventional computers use binary bits; quantum computers use qubits that can represent 0, 1, or both simultaneously, enabling parallel problem solving. Quantum algorithms could render some tasks exponentially faster, turning problems that take billions of years on classical machines into seconds. Forecasts for Q-Day vary widely, from as soon as two years to several decades. Universal consensus exists that transition to post-quantum cryptography and preparation must begin immediately.

Read at Mail Online