How CISOs prepare to tackle the post-quantum cryptography future

The work CISOs are doing to prep for the arrival of quantum computing echoes the race to update computers for Y2K — with one significant difference. They may need to prove, in the here and now, that they will be ready for the expected sea change in cybersecurity.

The chief concern is quantum's potential threat to traditional cybersecurity, which theoretically could be easily cracked by such systems. Quantum computers are built with qubits rather than traditional bits, enabling them to process complex calculations differently from classic computers. Rather than being just a matter of faster compute speed, quantum computers are expected to handle complicated processes in ways old school computers do not operate — and that can make them dangerous to traditional cryptography. The breadth of the stakes has drawn the attention of stakeholders, including engineers, attorneys and C-suite leaders, concerned about protecting data from aggressors who also want to leverage the technology.

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Leslie Nielsen, executive vice president and CISO at Mimecast, said warnings about the impact of quantum computing began years ago. Its eventual arrival is expected to upend security norms and usher in post-quantum cryptography (PQC).