Google warns ‘Q-Day’ is coming, could break encryption by 2029

The development of quantum computing is progressing faster than expected, leading Google to now anticipate that “Q-Day” could arrive as early as 2029. So says Heather Adkins, VP of Security Engineering, in a recent blog post on The Keyword.

Q-Day (also known as Quantum Day) refers to a hypothetical future point in time when quantum computers will finally be powerful enough to crack current encryption solutions, which could cause major problems and disruptions for authorities, banks… pretty much everything.

One solution to the problem is to invest in “post-quantum cryptography” (PQC), which entails the development of new encryption algorithms that replace RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC).

The National Security Agency (NSA) had previously aimed to implement PQC by 2031 at the latest, but if Google’s updated forecast is correct, that work will need to be accelerated.

PQC also needs to be implemented in operating systems and software, a process that will begin with Android 17 and due for release in June.