Mar 21, 2025 20:00:00

UK NCSC lays out timeline for transition to 'post-quantum cryptography' to protect against quantum hackers, urging major companies to adopt it by 2035

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published new guidelines to protect the nation from future threats posed by quantum computers.

Timeline for PQC migration revealed - NCSC.GOV.UK

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/pqc-migration-roadmap-unveiled

The security of communications is important when operating bank money or conducting commercial transactions over the Internet. Current encryption standards are secure at the current technological level and are used to protect a variety of confidential information, but there is a risk that they will be easily decrypted when quantum computers become practical.

The NCSC has therefore developed a three-stage timeline for the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography (PQC) by 2035.

Until 2028
Determine what needs to be upgraded and develop a migration plan.

Until 2031
Upgrade high-priority services, adapting plans as quantum-resistant cryptography evolves.

- Until 2035
Complete the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography for all systems, services, and products.

Ollie Whitehouse, Chief Technology Officer at the NCSC, said of the move: 'Quantum computing will be a revolution in technology but it also poses significant risks to current encryption techniques. This new timeline for quantum-resistant cryptography provides a clear roadmap for organisations to protect their data from future threats and helps ensure sensitive information remains safe. Upgrading our collective security as quantum technologies advance is both important and essential.'

Regarding the development of a timeline, the NCSC said, 'For many small and medium-sized organisations, the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography will be part of a routine upgrade, but for larger organisations it will require planning and significant investment.' It noted that it is important to take proactive measures while the threat of quantum computers is still a reality.

In the field of quantum computing, various breakthroughs have been made in recent years in quantum hardware, error correction, algorithms, etc. In line with these advances in quantum computers, semiconductor giant NVIDIA held '

Quantum Day ' on March 20, 2025 to discuss the future evolution of quantum computers.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang commented in January 2025 that 'it's questionable whether a practical quantum computer will emerge within the next 15 years,' but on Quantum Day he retracted his previous comments, saying he was 'wrong.' He said that the company is working with quantum computing companies Quantinuum, QuEra Computing and others to 'build a large-scale, useful, high-speed quantum supercomputer.'