Today, 14th April, marks World Quantum Day 2026. It’s not just a random date, it’s deliberately to honour the fundamental constants of our universe and is a nod to Planck’s constant ($4.14 \times 10^{-15} \text{ eV}\cdot\text{s}$) which underpins the very physics making next-generation computing possible.
The progress since last year’s international celebrations has been nothing short of breath-taking. We are seeing quantum sensing revolutionise medical imaging and quantum algorithms begin to optimise global supply chains in ways classical binary systems never could.
Our role at Mondas is to look beneath the surface of the quantum leap. The promise is vast but the evolution of quantum computing introduces a structural shift in the global threat landscape that businesses cannot afford to ignore.
Why Quantum Technology Raises Concerns
The same properties that make quantum systems powerful, including superposition and entanglement, also introduce profound risks to modern cybersecurity. This dark side of quantum has moved from theoretical physics papers to boardroom agendas.
The core of the issue lies in Shor’s Algorithm. A sufficiently powerful, fault-tolerant quantum computer could eventually break widely used asymmetric encryption methods, such as RSA and ECC. These are the very protocols that currently secure everything from global banking transactions to encrypted government communications and, very probably, your company’s internal VPNs.
The Harvest Now, Decrypt Later Threat
One of the most pressing concerns for security researchers today is the Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL) scenario. Adversaries and nation-state actors are already collecting and storing encrypted data today with the expectation that it can be decoded once quantum systems mature.
If your data has a shelf-life of ten years, like health records, intellectual property, or national security secrets, it may already be at risk. The breach hasn’t happened yet, but data could be in the hands of hackers already.
🔗Learn more about World Quantum Day 2026 with Google’s interactive resource.
Timeline and Transition
The timeline for a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) remains a moving target. Some estimates suggest practical threats could emerge within the next decade, while others suggest we are further out.
Standards bodies, led by the 🔗National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have already finalised the first set of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards, including ML-KEM and ML-DSA.
Navigating Technical Limitations
It’s important to remain grounded: current quantum computers are still error-prone, require extreme cooling, and remain difficult to scale. We are in the era of Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) technology. While researchers are making significant strides in quantum error correction, the systems needed for large-scale, fault-tolerant computing are still under development.
At Mondas, we believe the path forward is Cryptographic Agility. This means building systems that can swap out encryption algorithms as they become vulnerable, without requiring a total overhaul of your IT infrastructure.
If you are concerned about how the quantum transition might affect your long-term data security, Mondas specialises in this topic reach out to us today to discuss your roadmap to quantum-resilience.
Author: Lance Nevill, Cyber Security Director (Connect on LinkedIn). Lance leads our strategic vision in defensive architecture, ensuring Mondas remains at the forefront of post-quantum readiness.
Article first published: 14/04/2026
