The other day I spent time with a few of the truly serious humans in the world of networking and security last week. I always find discussions with these industry experts fascinating, particularly the insights into the thought processes of those on both the “right and wrong” sides of the ethical table. The sheer ingenuity of the threats people devise, and the way security experts think, always hooks me.
Of course, the usual frustrations arose: why doesn’t our industry take information security more seriously? We kicked around the standard challenges, but then the conversation took a sharp turn into the future: Quantum technology.
In simple terms, Quantum computing is not just a faster version of the computer you’re reading this on. Where your current computer uses bits (0s or 1s) to store information, a Quantum computer uses qubits (|0\ and |1\). These qubits can exist as both 0 and 1 simultaneously, fundamentally changing how calculations are done. It allows them to solve certain complex problems—like factoring large numbers—at speeds that are currently impossible. And that, my friends, is where the security game utterly, irrevocably changes.
If you’re struggling with your security today, just wait for this shift. To crack a standard 10-character password using today’s best supercomputer might take months or even years. In a fully realized, large-scale Quantum environment? Think about a few seconds. The time factor isn’t just reduced; it collapses.
This has profound implications for data transmission and encryption. Much of the world’s digital security—banking, government, and, yes, our hospitality systems—is protected by algorithms that rely on the difficulty of factoring massive numbers. Quantum computers obliterate that difficulty. The good news? Researchers are developing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms resistant to these attacks. The bad news? It’s a race, and the installation and widespread adoption of this new encryption will be a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar overhaul.
The ultimate frustration here is the industry’s current, often willful, ignorance of information security basics, as we discussed previously. While we’re still arguing over multi-factor authentication and who is responsible for a breach, the fundamental physics of digital security is about to shift. The first we will likely hear of this shift is when one of the nefarious actors deploys a Quantum-ready tool that cracks open large organizations, treating their data like a brittle eggshell. It’s always a race—the offensive capabilities versus the defensive preparation.
The clock is ticking on today’s security models, and the question every leader in our industry should be asking is simple: Are you making the necessary investment to avoid being an also-ran in the greatest security transition the world has ever faced?
Life is so tech. The rules are changing; the thinking hasn’t.
Mark Fancourt
