One of the world's biggest cybersecurity threats could be set to arrive sooner than anyone expected, as Google has outlined the dangers of the 'quantum apocalypse' on our doorstep.
Encryption in its current form is the backbone is almost every cybersecurity system in the tech world right now, as it's what secures your login details, bank transactions, and private messages across the web.
Existing encryption systems are so complex that even the most powerful computers don't stand a chance at breaking them, yet there exists a threat looming ahead that would tear apart the internet's safety barriers in an almost apocalyptic event.
As reported by the Independent, this threat takes the form of quantum computers, which are advanced computing systems that take advantage of quantum mechanics to solve issues that are currently impossible for existing devices.
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Traditional computers rely on binary systems – which is why the threat of Y2K2038 is such a major issue in the coming decade – yet quantum computers instead use quantum bits (or qubits for short) which can exist as both 0 and 1 simultaneously, resulting in far faster calculations.
These aren't expected to be used by the average person – at least for a while after they've been invented – but instead within professional systems like healthcare and medical research, politics, and academic institutions.
Their proficiency at tackling encryption will no doubt make them a desirable prospect for hackers and cybercriminals, however, as it would allow threat actors to access confidential material and potentially steal whatever they wanted on the internet.
One of the biggest threats currently surrounding quantum computers is the activity of 'store-now-decrypt-later' attacks, where hackers will collect or steal encrypted information now only to 'unlock' it when the technology is available to do so.
Experts are always working on a way to avoid this, primarily through the development of 'post-quantum cryptography' (PQC) which would retain encryption that even quantum computers can't crack, yet migrating everything over to that is far easier said than done.
This becomes even more prescient following a warning from Google, which has outlined a target date of 2029 for encryption to be fully transferred over to PQC.
"As a pioneer of both quantum and PQC, it's our responsibility to lead by example and share an ambitious timeline," Google outlined. "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."