Phase 3: The Quantum Threat
Quantum computers aren't just faster computers — they operate on fundamentally different principles that make certain mathematical problems trivially easy. Problems that RSA and ECC rely on for their security. This phase explains the exact mechanism of the threat and why it's already urgent even though large-scale quantum computers don't exist yet.
Why Quantum Computers Break Encryption
The hard math problems — integer factoring and discrete logarithms — that make RSA and ECC secure today, and why quantum makes them easy.
Understand the threat →Shor's Algorithm Explained
The 1994 algorithm that could break RSA and ECC. How it works, why it's exponentially faster, and what it would mean for the internet.
Explore Shor's algorithm →Grover's Algorithm & Symmetric Keys
Why even symmetric encryption like AES isn't completely safe — and the simple fix (doubling key length) that keeps it secure.
Explore Grover's algorithm →Harvest Now, Decrypt Later
Adversaries collecting encrypted data today with the intent to decrypt it once quantum computers exist. Why this threat is already here.
Understand the timeline →