Almost everything we do on the internet is protected by digital security systems: from sending a WhatsApp message to making a bank transfer or saving our photos in the cloud. This protection is based on mathematical formulas that are very difficult to break, at least for today's computers. However, the advance of quantum computing is opening a new era in technology. Thanks to their ability to process information much more efficiently than traditional computers, quantum computers are driving a transformation in the field of cybersecurity.
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) seeks to develop new security methods designed to protect information even against the power of quantum computers. This is being achieved, for example, by refining and standardising algorithms such as CRYSTALS-Kyber for secure key exchange. The next digital security standard will be a race against time to upgrade global cybersecurity before today's encryption becomes obsolete, especially in critical sectors such as banking, defence, and healthcare, which need to guarantee the confidentiality of their data over time.
International organisations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are already promoting a new post-quantum cybersecurity framework. Projects such as Open QKD and PROMETHEUS aim to establish open and secure standards for the post-quantum era by combining academic, industrial, and governmental efforts. In Spain, initiatives like the Quantum Spain project and the Spanish Quantum Technologies Strategy 2025–2030 demonstrate that this path is becoming a fundamental pillar of the digital future now taking shape globally.
For further information, see: Federal Office for Information Security. “Post-quantum cryptography.” Federal Ministry of the Interior - Government of Germany; HelloFuture. “Prometheus has brought post-quantum cryptography to humanity”. Orange; Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service. Estrategia de Tecnologías Cuánticas de España. Madrid, 2025; OpenQKDNetwork. “Open-QKD-Network.” OpenQKDNetwork; NIST. “NIST releases first 3 finalized post-quantum encryption standards.” NIST; Quantum Spain. “El impulso definitivo al ecosistema de computación cuántica de España.” Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service; and, World Economic Forum. “US unveils new tools to withstand encryption-breaking quantum. Here's what experts are saying.” World Economic Forum.