The Great Quantum Mirage: Why We're Solving Tomorrow's Problem While Missing Today's Crisis

The real quantum apocalypse isn't about machines; it's about human behavior changing in anticipation of those machines. Nation-states have been conducting "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks for years, stockpiling encrypted communications for eventual quantum decryption. Classical computers are getting scary good at simulating quantum algorithms.

I've spent the better part of two decades tracking cryptographic threats, and I'm convinced we're having the wrong conversation about quantum computing. While everyone's obsessing over when quantum computers will break RSA-2048—spoiler alert: experts now estimate 15 years—we're missing a more immediate and arguably more dangerous reality unfolding right now.

The quantum threat isn't some distant Y2K-style event we can plan for. It's a steady erosion that started years ago, accelerated through 2024, and is fundamentally reshaping how adversaries think about encrypted data. The real quantum apocalypse ...