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Preparing for a
post-quantum world

Every day, sensitive online activities, from bank transfers to private messages to sharing medical records, rely on public-key cryptography that a future quantum computer could break. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) represents an essential, next-generation defense built to withstand this critical threat. Google has been working on migrating its products and services to PQC since 2016 to keep its users safe.

Why the quantum era needs new cryptography

A cryptographically relevant quantum computer will arrive, possibly sooner than anticipated. Migrating to new standards takes years and the hardware we build today will still be used when quantum computers arrive. We need action now to secure the quantum future. There are two key risks to address: "store now, decrypt later" and "digital forgery."
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    Store now, decrypt later

    Store now, decrypt later is a waiting game. An adversary intercepts encrypted data today and holds onto it. Once a quantum computer can break the encryption, collected data is at risk of exposure. This risk is most acute for long-term secrets, like sensitive government data, trade secrets, or health information.

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    Digital forgery

    A digital signature helps verify that common online activities like software updates, transactions, or official documents are genuine. Once a quantum computer can forge digital signatures, attackers can do things like produce fake documents that appear trustworthy and perform illicit actions that appear authorized. We can mitigate this threat by building hardware and software today that is able to produce quantum-safe signatures for years to come.

How strong is the encryption that protects your data? Test it out. How strong is the encryption that protects your data? Test it out.

Try sending a text message with a sensitive file to see how today’s encryption stacks up against quantum-resistant encryption. Try sending a text message with a sensitive file to see how today’s encryption stacks up against quantum-resistant encryption.

How Google is rolling out PQC to protect everyday products

We’re building post-quantum cryptography into the products people around the world rely on, from the browser to the phone to the Cloud. Protection is arriving before the threat does.

Our roadmap to 2029

We’ve set a 2029 target to complete our post-quantum migration. This goal is aligned with the latest progress in quantum computing research.

2016

Google runs its first real-world experiments with post-quantum cryptography in Chrome.

Five actions leaders can take to prepare for the quantum era

No single organization can secure the quantum era alone, which is why we’re sharing both our own commitments and a set of recommendations for policy leaders who will shape the transition.
Learn more

  • Drive society-wide momentum

    Take migration beyond public networks into the sectors people depend on most like energy, telecommunications, and healthcare. It closes the gaps in the systems people rely on every day and protects the trust infrastructure behind them, alongside the certificate authorities that underpin it.

  • Secure AI foundation

    Treat post-quantum cryptography as a required foundation for AI, not an afterthought. Cryptography is what secures AI, so protecting it now safeguards the enduring economic potential of AI innovation.

  • Reduce global fragmentation

    Rally behind the NIST standards as a single global benchmark, instead of partial or unproven alternatives. A shared standard lets everyone move faster together, and closes the interoperability and security gaps that fragmentation creates.

  • Promote cloud-first upgrades

    Move legacy systems to the cloud rather than spending public budgets patching hard-coded cryptography. Consider enabling cloud migration for legacy public sector systems by removing or addressing regulatory barriers, where appropriate.

  • Collaborate with the technical experts

    Keep an open, ongoing dialogue with quantum researchers and specialists. A capable quantum computer is no longer a distant, hypothetical threat, so staying close to the experts is how policymakers get ahead of the threat instead of getting caught off guard.

Research, reports, and resources

Get up to date on security and quantum research from Google.