Imagine for a moment that you just successfully invented the world’s first time machine, a device so powerful it could alter the course of history, economics, and even the fate of nations. The immediate question might be: Would you publicize your breakthrough or keep it quiet?

After all, going public would instantly attract the attention of governments and powerful organizations. They might seize your invention for national security reasons or pass laws making private ownership illegal. Aside from notoriety, there would be no real advantage in drawing attention to your achievement.

Now consider the things you could do with such a device. You could travel back in time and invest in companies like Apple or Amazon at their inception to amass unimaginable wealth without attracting attention. You could correct past mistakes or influence key historical moments to steer the world in a different direction. The potential power of such capabilities would far outweigh any recognition as its inventor.

The Advantage of Being First

At the very least, any formal announcement of a successful time machine would trigger a global race as every government, corporation, and research institution poured resources into building their own. Any lead you had would erode quickly. The world might descend into chaos as everyone began trying to rewrite history for their own benefit.

In track and field, the first one out of the blocks has an advantage. But in technology, the first one usually doesn’t say a word, especially when the power at stake is total.

A Familiar Pattern: Quantum Computing

Chances are you’ve heard of quantum computing. It’s not just hype. It’s a radically different approach to computation based on quantum mechanics…concepts like superposition and entanglement that, unless you studied physics past high school, probably feel like they belong in a Marvel movie.

The main thing to know? Quantum computers, once they reach a critical size and stability, could break the asymmetric encryption algorithms that secure the modern digital world—RSA, Diffie-Hellman, Elliptic Curve. These algorithms underpin everything from email to banking, VPNs to authentication systems.

Imagine If Nothing Was Secret

If you had a powerful enough quantum computer, you could decrypt almost anything. Think about that: every secured government communication, every medical record, every financial transaction, every corporate trade secret could be unlocked.

It’s not hard to see why the first nation (or group) to get there won’t shout about it. Instead, they’ll quietly collect power, insight, and leverage.

Harvest Now, Decrypt Later

Here’s where things get particularly interesting and relevant, right now.

Say you’re a nation-state adversary, and you believe quantum computers will be ready in 5 to 10 years. Why wait to collect data then? Instead, you start sweeping up encrypted communications now. You can’t read them today, but you store them, knowing that tomorrow’s quantum machines might make them transparent.

That’s what “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” means. And it’s not theoretical. Cybersecurity agencies in the U.S. and Europe have warned that nation-state adversaries are already deploying this tactic. They’re not just hoarding missile secrets and embassy chatter…they’re grabbing trade deals, source code, patent applications, and diplomatic correspondence.

Some of this data might age out and become useless. But for anything long-lived such as nuclear facility layouts, industrial R&D, legal contracts, or biometric identities, it could still matter years from now.

What This Means for IT Leaders

Even if you don’t manage security directly, you likely oversee the infrastructure, systems, and strategy that rely on public-key cryptography. That includes:

• VPNs, TLS, HTTPS, and S/MIME
• Federated identity and access controls (SAML, OAuth)
• Application backends and APIs with embedded keys
• Encrypted archival data with multi-decade retention policies

Your entire architecture is likely built on encryption you assume is unbreakable. That assumption is now on a timer.

So what should you do?

1. Inventory Where Asymmetric Encryption Is Used

Start by identifying which systems use asymmetric encryption, especially during key exchange. These are your weak links. This is harder than it sounds. Many apps bury crypto inside third-party libraries or firmware. But it’s critical groundwork.

Modern tools for software bill of materials (SBOMs) and asset discovery can help. WEI and our partner Pulsar Security recommend using passive network analysis to identify TLS handshakes, public key cryptography calls, and encrypted tunnels that may be vulnerable once quantum machines come online.

2. Think Critically About Long-Term Data

Ask your teams: “What encrypted data are we storing today that still needs to be secure in 2035?”

If you’re in healthcare, that could be patient data. In financial services, it might be transaction logs or payment histories. In manufacturing, it could be intellectual property or confidential vendor contracts.

These datasets should be prioritized for post-quantum crypto adoption.

3. Begin Experimenting with Post-Quantum Cryptography

Here’s the good news: you don’t need a quantum computer to defend against one. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has selected a new class of “quantum-safe” encryption algorithms, like Kyber and Dilithium, that run on traditional hardware.

We’re entering a phase much like Y2K. The problem is real, the timeline is tight, but the tools to solve it already exist.

What’s the Timeline for Quantum-Safe Tools from Cloud and Tech Vendors?

The major cloud and platform providers have already started integrating quantum-resistant cryptography into their services. Microsoft, Google, and AWS are offering early access to new algorithms recommended by NIST, including Kyber and Dilithium, within their key management, TLS, and VPN ecosystems. Microsoft has introduced hybrid post-quantum TLS support in Windows 11 and Azure. AWS is piloting quantum-safe encryption within its KMS and CloudHSM environments. While these capabilities are not fully production-ready, they are available today for testing and development use.

This is important because shifting to post-quantum cryptography is not a quick swap. It will require interoperability testing, vendor engagement, and careful alignment across infrastructure and application layers. The organizations that begin experimenting now will be far better positioned when quantum risks accelerate. IT leaders do not need to roll out a full deployment today. What matters is understanding how your environment will respond when the time comes to transition and knowing which tools and partners are already one step ahead.

The Future Isn’t All Risk

Quantum computing isn’t just a threat. It also promises breakthroughs in drug discovery, advanced materials, and climate forecasting. And it may even help build better encryption.

But for now, its first major impact will likely be felt in how we secure data and whether we’re prepared to protect it.

Next Steps: Now is the time to begin preparing, and WEI can help. Download Shawn Murphy’s tech brief, The Coming Quantum Storm: How to Safeguard Your Enterprise Data, to get started and contact our expert cyber team for questions. We leverage our proven partnerships with world-leading post-quantum encryption providers, specific to your tech stack.