Due to quantum computers cyber security may experience an armageddon: IBM

Quantum computers will be able to render any existing encryption systems obsolete by 2030, according to Ana Paula Assis, the general manager of the technology company IBM for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She made this statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as reported by Bloomberg.

Ana Paula Assis warned of the risk of a "cybersecurity armageddon" due to quantum processors.

The new quantum technologies significantly increase the computing power by employing parallel, rather than sequential, execution of calculations.

Some governments are starting to take this threat seriously. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill in 2022 aimed at addressing the threat of quantum computers to data encryption.

According to experts, most companies and enterprises are not yet prepared to use quantum machines and counteract their potential failures.

Jack Hidary, the CEO of the artificial intelligence and quantum computing firm SandboxAQ, estimated that banks will need eight to 10 years to transition to post-quantum protocols. Meanwhile, scalable quantum computers are expected to be available within 5-6 years. During this time, everything using encryption, from e-commerce to online banking, will be at risk.

The expert added that quantum computing is advancing faster than anticipated.