New research by ISACA has found that quantum computing, and the changes it will bring, is broadly welcomed by over half of cyber and IT professionals as a way of creating new opportunities for business. A further 44% believe quantum will create revolutionary innovations. But despite the expected impact of quantum computing, organisations are not making a concerted effort to prepare for it.
The research also revealed that despite a general sense of optimism about its revolutionary potential IT professionals have clear concerns about quantum computing and the risk it presents. Over two thirds (67%) anticipate that quantum computing could increase or shift cybersecurity risks over the next decade, while 40% feel that it has the potential to disrupt existing business models. Worse still, 67% are worried about it breaking today’s internet encryption before platforms fully implement new post-quantum cryptography.
Chris Dimitriadis, Chief Global Strategy Officer at ISACA, said: “Given recent quantum advancements and breakthroughs, we can expect quantum computing to be present in our day-to-day platforms and processes within the next few years. Whilst this will present great opportunities for innovation in several industries, significant cybersecurity risks emerge both in terms of quantum in a silo as well as through the rise of Quantum AI. For instance, cryptography is present in all businesses, industries and sectors, and quantum computing has the potential to break the cryptographic protocols that we use, rendering simple services useless. At the same time, quantum will substantially transform AI by boosting its capabilities, together with the risks associated with it.”
Although quantum computing is clearly a concern for a large proportion of IT professionals, only 4% said that their organisation has a defined quantum computing strategy. Moreover, over half (52%) reported that their organisation has not integrated quantum computing into its formal strategy or roadmap and does not currently plan to. A further 40% of cyber and IT professionals report that their organisation has not yet considered implementing post-quantum cryptography.
As well as lacking a quantum strategy, there is a low level of quantum literacy within businesses. Just 2% strongly agree they have a good understanding of the capabilities of quantum computing, and only 5% have a strong understanding of the new NIST post-quantum cryptography standards, even though NIST has been working on them for more than 10 years.
This literacy gap highlights how organisations are underprepared for the advent of quantum, and that they lack the skills needed to protect the business from emerging threats and adhere to new regulations. The UK Government is already making good progress with this, having pledged to invest over £60 million for new quantum skills programmes running until 2034. But this must go further in order to build a skilled workforce ready for the arrival of quantum computing.
Dimitriadis continues: “As a society that relies so heavily on digital systems, it’s imperative that we take this seriously. Organisations must make sure that they are already planning about how their operations might look in a post-quantum world, while they keep developing a holistically trained workforce on AI. They simply cannot afford to defer this critical preparation, risking the stability of the global economy itself. We need to build a holistically trained workforce on Quantum (and continue doing this for AI) and then create a plan for transition to the post-quantum era, enabling the safe adoption of these emerging technologies, so we can enjoy the benefits of innovation in a safe manner.”
