DeepSec 2025 Talk: Quantum Safe Cryptography: The Future of Cyber(un)security – Lukas Mairhofer
There is a cybersecurity threat looming that will change everything. Conveniently enough, it can be ignored until it is way too late to act: once available, Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQC) will effortlessly break asymmetric cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and ECC on which we build our current security infrastructure. In my talk, I will first discuss what makes Quantum Computers uniquely powerful, translating complex physical concepts into practical implications for cybersecurity. We will explore how Shor’s algorithm undermines current cryptographic assumptions and why digital signatures and public key infrastructures are particularly vulnerable. Attendees will gain an overview of the timeline for the development of CRQC, the principal actors in the field and why CRQC endangers our privacy already today. The session will then turn to mitigation strategies, exploring two promising paths: Quantum Key