Research
How quantum computing and quantum cryptology reshape the security of information.
Quantum technologies change two things at once: what can be computed, and what can be kept secret. The Centre follows both, because the timelines that matter to national security are set now, by decisions taken well before the technology matures.
A sufficiently capable quantum computer would break much of the public-key cryptography that protects government and commercial systems today. The risk is not confined to the future: an adversary can capture encrypted traffic now and decrypt it later, once the capability exists. Planning therefore has to begin before the machine does.
Two responses run in parallel. Quantum-resistant cryptography replaces vulnerable algorithms with ones believed to resist quantum attack, and can be deployed on today’s networks. Quantum key distribution uses the properties of quantum mechanics to detect interception directly. The Centre tracks the migration to quantum-resistant standards and what it asks of Canadian systems.
The Centre’s work here informs its advice on when and how Canadian entities should begin the move to quantum-resistant cryptography, and how to protect long-lived secrets in the meantime.