As 2024 drew to a close, Google caught global attention with the announcement of its latest quantum computing chip, Willow. Many believe that with Willow, Google has set a new benchmark for 2025, unveiling the extraordinary potential of quantum computing and what the quantum future could look like in the days ahead.

If you think this is just overhyped tech buzz, think again. Willow is far more than an incremental upgrade, it’s a monumental leap in quantum computing capabilities. Here are two reasons why:

• Unmatched Error Correction: One of the biggest challenges in developing a practical quantum computer has been quantum error correction. Qubits are incredibly delicate and are affected by the slightest disturbances like temperature changes or noise. Adding more qubits to the system makes them unstable too quickly. Therefore, the high error rate makes it impossible to perform practical computations. Willow is said to have overcome this problem with effective error correction. It can cut the error rate in half and bring it below the critical threshold, even as it scales up qubits. Willow also corrects errors in real time. This means it can deliver accurate results faster than ever. This breakthrough could start to pave the way for building reliable, commercially-relevant quantum systems.
• Unthinkable Processing Speed: Willow’s computational power is astounding. Google claims that the 105-qubit Willow performed a task in just five minutes that would take the world’s fastest classical supercomputers an unfathomable ten septillion years to finish. To put this in context, that’s 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years—many times the age of the universe itself.

Why Should You Care?

Google’s Willow is indeed a technical marvel, but it’s also a harbinger of the growing risks quantum computing poses to current cryptographic systems.

Google says, Willow is a “strong sign that useful, very large quantum computers can indeed be built.” This means we are getting closer to running quantum computers in practical and commercial applications. Unfortunately, this advancement is just as exciting for attackers as it is for innovators. Once these large-scale quantum computers become mainstream, which is not far from today, all data encrypted with today’s cryptographic algorithms, such as RSA, DSA, ECDH, ECDSA, and EdDSA will be vulnerable to decryption.

Besides, the threat of “harvest now, decrypt later” already hangs over us like a sword waiting to strike. Malicious actors are hoarding sensitive encrypted data today from industries such as banking, healthcare, government, and retail, intending to decrypt it with a powerful quantum computer. This isn’t just a hypothesis—it’s a real and growing danger. That’s why advancements like Google’s Willow matter so much.

With every leap in quantum computing, threats to cryptography grow stronger. Each breakthrough is a wake-up call for all businesses to switch gears and start making their infrastructures quantum resilient.

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) – The Only Way Forward

To help organizations build quantum resilience, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the first set of post-quantum encryption algorithm standards—FIPS 203, FIPS 204, and FIPS 205—in August 2024. NIST is also working on standardizing additional algorithms, such as Falcon, to provide broader support. These algorithms are designed to withstand attacks from both classical and quantum computers successfully, making them practically unbreakable even for the most powerful quantum computers. They’re our best defense for protecting our critical systems and sensitive data in a quantum-powered future.

Following the algorithm release, NIST also rolled out new guidance detailing timelines and key considerations to help organizations start preparing for the PQC transition. The guidance set clear deadlines for retiring widely-used encryption methods like RSA, ECDSA, EdDSA, DH, and ECDH. These algorithms are slated for deprecation by 2030 and a complete phase-out by 2035.

Check out key highlights of NIST’s Guidance on PQC Transition Plans here.

What CISOs Should Do Next

As with any cryptographic upgrade, preparation takes time. Unlike past transitions—such as from SHA-1 to SHA-2—transitioning to PQC requires meticulous planning, greater effort, and significantly more time. This transition involves reevaluating and optimizing many Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems to handle the demands of PQC while maintaining seamless operations.

Besides, experts predict that a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) could arrive as early as 2030, and the deprecation of current cryptographic algorithms is just five years away. There is no time to lose—acting sooner is key!

Know more about why CISOs Need To Act On Quantum-Readiness Now here.

To stay ahead of the quantum curve, all CISOs must start preparing their organizations to transition to post-quantum cryptography. Here’s an action plan you can start following today:

Call to Action Now:

• Discovering cryptography across the infrastructure and building a Cryptography Bill of Materials (CBOM) – a comprehensive inventory of all the public and private certificates, including cryptographic mechanisms used (i.e. algorithms, protocols and metadata) for complete visibility
• Assessing cryptographic systems and the data they protect to prioritize high-value sensitive assets for the transition
• Evaluating the new PQC standards and scoping their impact on existing cryptographic systems
• Identifying systems that need upgrades or replacement and understanding their supply-chain dependencies
• Engaging with third-party vendors to ensure they integrate the new PQC standards into their products/platforms to enable interoperability
• Establishing policies around algorithm replacement
• Experimenting with hybrid solutions that combine classical and post-quantum algorithms to ensure a smooth transition
• Testing PQC safe certificates for interoperability and performance
• Building crypto-agility to efficiently and securely transition to PQC at scale

Only time will tell when practical quantum computers will arrive, but there is no denying the fact that Google’s Willow chip is a giant leap in that direction. As the field of quantum computing evolves, businesses need to pay attention to how breakthroughs like Willow could reshape data security and encryption. The risks to sensitive information are growing more real with every leap forward. Not preparing for the post-quantum era could leave your high value data and systems vulnerable to attacks. It’s not something to put off—it’s something to start today.

Talk to AppViewX experts and get started on your post-quantum cryptography readiness journey today!

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Blogs Archive - AppViewX authored by Krupa Patil. Read the original post at: https://www.appviewx.com/blogs/googles-willow-chip-another-push-to-start-your-post-quantum-cryptography-pqc-preparation-now/