Europe's Quantum Threat: Why Proactive Innovation is Key

Q-Day Won’t Be Announced: Why Europe Must Act Now Q-Day — the point in the future when cryptographers believe that quantum computers will be able to break current encryption — will not be announced. Adversaries will exploit this capability silently. They’re already mounting “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, collecting encrypted data today to decrypt once quantum computers are powerful enough. China’s quantum investment equals the rest of the world combined. The threat is already operational. The digital battlefield is the next battlefield. At the recent Resilience Conference in London earlier this month, government and defence leaders confronted what this means. Read the full piece using the link in the comments. Melissa Chambers Ben Harper Sitehop

https://lnkd.in/ge46KCcN #europe2030 #canada2030 #qrc #pqc #encryption #quantumresilience #privid Everyone talks about 2030 as if it’s a destination. It isn’t. It’s a deadline — and it’s approaching faster than most IT departments or regulators care to admit. Across the EU, Canada, and NATO, the mandates for quantum-safe systems, post-quantum cryptography, and resilient infrastructure are already in motion. The policies are written. The budgets are shifting. What’s missing is execution. 2030 isn’t far away. It’s six budget cycles, three procurement renewals, and, at least, one major breach away. Kim Chandler McDonald Global Encryption Coalition Masaryk University

In May this year, China announced its first commercial quantum-encrypted voice call over 1,000 km : not just a tech milestone, a strategic signal. A Chinese state-owned telecom firm (China Telecom Quantum Group) announced the rollout of a commercial “unhackable” quantum cryptography network, part of Beijing’s long-term national plan for quantum-secure communications. The system, built with government support, connects key industrial and defense hubs, positioning China as a frontrunner in quantum network infrastructure. Technological and geopolitical landmarks : - it marks a shift from R&D to real-world deployment of quantum key distribution (QKD). - it raises questions for global standards — interoperability, export controls, and encryption governance. - it highlights a strategic divergence : China invests in quantum networks as national infrastructure, while the West focuses on software-based PQC. The start of a quantum divide, where nations secure communication sovereignty as the next strategic battleground ? #QuantumSecurity #ChinaTech #CyberSovereignty #Innovation #Geopolitics #Encryption https://lnkd.in/eKvFMCwz

NEW POST: The Signal Technology Foundation has unveiled a new cryptographic ratchet scheme called the Sparse Post-Quantum Ratchet (SPQR), a major step toward shielding its protocol suite from the future threat of quantum computing. The Signal Protocol – long seen as the gold standard for end-to-end encrypted messaging across civilian, military and government use – currently relies on a “Double Ratchet” design, in which symmetric-key updates and elliptic-curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) exchanges secure message streams. While the hash functions it uses remain safe from quantum attacks, ECDH would be vulnerable to a powerful enough quantum computer. For defence, intelligence, and government users, SPQR has clear implications. It shows that mainstream secure-messaging platforms are already preparing for a post-quantum future, and legacy systems in military or diplomatic contexts will need to do the same. It also raises transitional questions for coalition networks or cross-domain messaging tools that interoperate with Signal, as well as for adversaries hoping to stockpile today’s encrypted traffic for future decryption. Read the full piece using the link in the comments 👇

#DefenceFinanceMonitor | Quantropi – Quantum Cryptography for Allied Critical Infrastructure Quantropi, founded in Ottawa in 2018 by James Nguyen and Dr. Randy Kuang, is a Canadian deep-tech startup delivering quantum-safe cryptography through its QiSpace™ platform. Its solutions – MASQ™ (post-quantum public-key), QEEP™ (quantum-safe symmetric cipher), and SEQUR™ (entropy and “digital QKD”) – aim to secure communications against both present-day cyber threats and future quantum-enabled attacks. Unlike traditional quantum key distribution, Quantropi’s “digital QKD” operates over standard IP networks without specialized hardware, promising rapid and scalable deployment. The company has demonstrated record-setting performances, including key distribution 250× faster than photonic QKD in collaboration with Deutsche Telekom under the EU’s OPENQKD testbed, and a transatlantic quantum-safe VPN link between Copenhagen and Halifax during NATO’s DIANA accelerator. These results directly support NATO’s multi-domain secure communications and Europe’s EuroQCI initiative. Quantropi also integrates its SDK into STMicroelectronics hardware and partnered with HIMERA (Ukraine) to deliver quantum-secure tactical radios, embedding its cryptography into NATO-aligned industrial systems. While not EU-based, Quantropi strengthens European sovereignty by offering an allied alternative to Chinese quantum communication systems and reducing reliance on adversarial suppliers. Its patents (EP3701664A4, EP3959840A1) are filed in Europe, ensuring IP protection for EU deployments. For Europe, Quantropi represents a significant contributor to defense sovereignty: its technology is high-TRL, standards-compliant (ETSI), and already validated in European infrastructure. Future steps, such as establishing a European footprint or joint ventures with EU primes, would deepen its role in Europe’s strategic autonomy. #Quantropi #JamesNguyen #RandyKuang #QiSpace #MASQ #QEEP #SEQUR #DeutscheTelekom #STMicroelectronics #HIMERA #NATO #DIANA #EuroQCI #DefenceFinanceMonitor https://lnkd.in/d4g_qABg

As quantum computing becomes a reality, it's essential to consider its impact on society. I'm happy to have contributed to a report from GESDA - Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator discussing the future of labour, the digital divide (quantum efforts are geographically centred), and its impact on security. It mentions that QKD might play a role in the future, but it’s not a replacement for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). To secure against future quantum attacks, adopting PQC now is critical. Dr. Mira Wolf-Bauwens https://lnkd.in/e_s84NSW

⚛️ When encryption isn’t enough, quantum steps in. The US Air Force has just handed New York-based Qunnect a mission: take quantum networking tech to the frontlines of national defense. 🔒 Tamper-evident: intrusion attempts immediately detectable 🛰️ Position verification for mission-critical nodes 📡 Secure data sharing across complex networks “Qunnect is the first company to have deployed metro-scale quantum networks on commercial fiber in real-world environments,” said Noel Goddard, company CEO. “Now, with the air force’s support, we’re extending those capabilities to validate defense-grade specifications and accelerate national security use cases.”

https://lnkd.in/gAT3gKft #europe2030 #canada2030 #qrc #pqc #encryption #quantumresilience #privid Everyone talks about 2030 as if it’s a destination. It isn’t. It’s a deadline — and it’s approaching faster than most IT departments or regulators care to admit. Across the EU, Canada, and NATO, the mandates for quantum-safe systems, post-quantum cryptography, and resilient infrastructure are already in motion. The policies are written. The budgets are shifting. What’s missing is execution. 2030 isn’t far away. It’s six budget cycles, three procurement renewals, and, at least, one major breach away.

From Quantum Threat to Quantum Readiness. Next week, Citi Institute will host HorizonX and QuSecure for a Quantum Computing Executive Briefing in Abu Dhabi and Dubai — exploring how post-quantum cryptography (PQC) can safeguard the global financial ecosystem as quantum computing becomes a business reality. While many are just beginning to assess their exposure, QuSecure saw this shift coming years ago. Our team built the first production-ready platform to help organizations stay agile, secure, and compliant before the quantum era arrived. QuSecure CEO Rebecca Krauthamer will join Ronit Ghose (Citi) and Steve Suarez® (HorizonX) to share how organizations can move beyond awareness toward practical crypto-agility — identifying vulnerabilities, prioritizing remediation, and ensuring compliance with emerging PQC standards. This is not a theoretical future. It’s a readiness imperative for financial institutions. And, we’re here to help. 

The regulatory wave for post-quantum cryptography is forming. Draft memoranda circulating from the White House and OMB point to an executive order mandating PQC adoption across all federal agencies. That order won’t stop at government networks. Because federal systems touch thousands of contractors and vendors, the compliance perimeter will likely extend into industry; especially those within CISA-defined critical infrastructure. These memoranda aren’t just about cryptography. They outline the strategic direction for U.S. quantum capability; spanning PQC, quantum networking, and quantum computing. The outline a coordinated effort to future-proof national security systems before quantum decryption becomes practical. This investment is highly visible in Chicago with the recent groundbreaking of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park: the fruition of government and industry cooperation to secure an $8 billion investment, anchored by PsiQuantum and joined by leading quantum startups. It signals that government and industry are preparing the full stack: hardware, networks, and security in orchestration. Why this matters: Once federal systems standardize PQC, critical infrastructure sectors (CISA’s 16 categories) will likely follow through procurement and compliance channels. The “quantum-safe migration” will move from advisory to obligation quicker than most CISO’s will likely expect. #PostQuantumCryptography #QuantumSecurity #GovTech