Quantum computers are not yet powerful enough to break the encryption that protects most business data. But adversaries are already storing stolen, encrypted data today so they can decrypt it once quantum computing catches up. Security researchers call this “harvest now, decrypt later,” and it is the reason cryptographic migration has become an urgent priority for enterprise IT teams rather than a future one.
Cisco experts write in a recent guide to quantum computing and its business implications that decisions companies make in the next few years will determine whether they enter the quantum era prepared or scrambling.
What is Quantum Computing?
On e of the first steps is to not be intimidated by quantum science. Although complex, it is not magical or incomprehensible.
A better way to approach the subject is to realize that quantum computing is simply a different way of processing information, based on the laws of quantum physics rather than the binary logic that runs classical computers. Classical machines use bits set to either zero or one. Quantum machines use qubits, which can hold a zero and a one at the same time through a property called superposition. That allows a quantum system to explore many possible solutions simultaneously instead of working through them one at a time.
A second property, entanglement, links two qubits so that the state of one affects the other regardless of distance. Together, superposition and entanglement give quantum computers an advantage on a narrow set of problems, such as optimization, simulation and cryptography. They do not make quantum computers faster at routine, everyday computing tasks.
Does Quantum Computing Matter for Business?
Cisco frames the shift as a computational physics problem rather than an engineering one. The company points to Lambda Labs data showing that training GPT-3 in 2020 cost about $4 million and consumed roughly as much energy as 1,000 homes use in a year. Five years later, training a frontier model costs roughly $500 million and draws enough electricity to power a small city for months, according to Cisco.
That trajectory means the computing scale that has driven AI progress is running into cost and energy limits that cannot be solved by adding more classical hardware. Quantum computing is one of the technologies enterprises are watching to address those constraints, Cisco says, particularly for optimization problems where quantum processors can evaluate an exponential number of possible solutions at once rather than sampling them individually.
Most encryption in use today, including the algorithms that protect financial transactions, health records and trade secrets, will eventually be vulnerable to a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. That machine does not exist yet. But according to Cisco, adversaries are already collecting encrypted data and storing it until quantum hardware capable of decrypting it becomes available.
For any business that handles data with a long shelf life, contracts, medical records, intellectual property, that threat is active now, not years away. Data intercepted and stored today could be exposed once quantum decryption becomes feasible.
What is Post-Quantum Cryptography?
Post-quantum cryptography, or PQC, refers to encryption standards built to resist attacks from quantum computers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has finalized several PQC algorithms, including ML-KEM and ML-DSA, for organizations to begin adopting. Cisco says it has started integrating post-quantum cryptography into its own security portfolio and describes migration to these standards as the most time-sensitive quantum-related priority for enterprise IT teams today.
Migrating cryptographic infrastructure is not a short project. It involves inventorying where and how encryption is used across an organization’s systems, then replacing vulnerable algorithms with quantum-resistant ones without disrupting operations. Cisco’s guidance treats that migration as work that should already be underway rather than something to plan for later in the decade.
Cisco points out that Veneto Quantum Communication Infrastructure, or VenQCI, has been fully operational in Italy’s Veneto region since March 2025. The network, built through a partnership between Regione Veneto, the University of Padova and motorway operator Concessioni Autostradali Venete, gives public institutions and critical infrastructure operators a quantum-safe digital backbone. Cisco cites the project as evidence that demand for quantum-safe infrastructure is not theoretical.
How Could Quantum Computing Affect Other Industries
Beyond security, Cisco expects quantum optimization to help enterprises move from slow, step-by-step modeling to real-time simulation across several industries:
Life sciences and pharmaceuticals could see drug discovery timelines shrink from decades to months. Energy companies could use quantum-assisted modeling to improve climate forecasting and battery design. Manufacturers could draw on materials research; Cisco cites a Nature-published study on Google DeepMind’s GNoME project, which used AI to predict the stability of millions of candidate materials. Supply chain and logistics operators could reduce waste and delays through quantum optimization, building on AI-driven routing systems that the International Energy Agency reports already ease congestion across complex networks.
None of this requires business leaders to understand quantum physics. It does require them to understand which parts of their operations, cryptography especially, are exposed to the transition.
How Could Business Owners Prepare For Quantum Computing?
Cisco recommends three starting steps for enterprises:
- Assess cryptographic infrastructure for quantum risk, identifying where current encryption protects sensitive or long-lived data.
- Train IT and engineering staff in post-quantum security and quantum-ready networking concepts, rather than limiting preparation to general awareness sessions.
- Work with vendors and partners that are already building quantum-ready infrastructure, so that migration can happen incrementally rather than all at once.
Cisco describes the workforce gap, not hardware availability, as the bigger near-term obstacle. Few companies have mapped how much quantum and post-quantum expertise their teams will need, the company says.
For teams ready to act, Cisco suggests dividing the work by role:
Network engineers should focus on post-quantum cryptography and quantum-safe security fundamentals. Developers and AI practitioners should build familiarity with quantum optimization and hybrid AI systems. Infrastructure and observability teams should develop monitoring capabilities that work across both classical and quantum-enabled environments.
The common thread across all three is timing. Fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption are still years away by most industry estimates, but the migration to post-quantum standards takes years to complete properly. Businesses that begin that work now will have finished it before it becomes mandatory. Those that wait may find the deadline arrives before the project does.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is quantum computing in simple terms?
Quantum computing processes information using the principles of quantum physics instead of binary logic. It uses qubits, which can represent a zero and a one simultaneously, allowing quantum systems to evaluate many possible solutions at once rather than one at a time.
Is quantum computing a threat to cybersecurity?
Yes, eventually. A fault-tolerant quantum computer would be capable of breaking most encryption in use today. That is why migrating to post-quantum cryptography has become a priority for enterprise security teams, with the goal of completing the transition before quantum hardware reaches that scale.
What is post-quantum cryptography?
Post-quantum cryptography is encryption designed to remain secure against attacks from quantum computers. NIST has finalized several such standards, and enterprises are being advised to begin migration well ahead of when large-scale quantum computers are expected to arrive.
How can a business start preparing for quantum computing?
Start by assessing where cryptography protects sensitive or long-lived data, then train IT staff in post-quantum security concepts, and work with vendors already building quantum-ready infrastructure.
What is quantum-safe networking?
Quantum-safe networking uses encryption protocols designed to resist quantum computer attacks. Italy’s VenQCI network, operational since March 2025, is one example already running in production.
