Quantum tech is “threat and shield” for tomorrow’s defence — Arqit comments

A major new report from New America warns that quantum technologies, including quantum computing and sensing, are set to transform military operations, both as a critical security risk and a new line of defence.

The report — The Future of Deception in War: Lessons from Ukraine — highlights how modern warfare is being reshaped by the rise of sophisticated quantum, AI, and cyber capabilities, advising governments and defence leaders to urgently upgrade cryptographic measures and adopt quantum-resilient security before adversaries exploit the gap.

As a founding member of the Oracle Defense Ecosystem, Arqit is at the forefront of global defence innovation, working alongside industry and government partners to deliver quantum-safe security for mission-critical data and infrastructure.

Paul Feenan, Chief Revenue Officer and Security & Defence expert at Arqit, comments: “Governments can no longer afford to defend tomorrow’s digital battle space with yesterday’s encryption. Nation-state threats are growing more sophisticated, and the fundamental weakness of legacy public key infrastructure is now a clear and present danger.”

“A quantum-capable adversary won’t need to break a firewall — they will simply need to break the keys that hold many of our most vital networked systems together. And they won’t even need to do that immediately; harvest now, decrypt later (HNDL) attacks are becoming increasingly common as bad actors aim to accumulate sensitive data to decrypt when computing capacity allows.”

“Immediate action is required. Securing national infrastructure demands a layered, zero-trust approach that includes symmetric key protections and quantum-safe encryption today, not after an incident occurs. Waiting for regulation or consensus is not a strategy. The technology exists — now leadership and urgency must follow.”