Governments and technology companies are preparing for Q-Day - the future point at which a powerful quantum computer can break the encryption systems that secure much of today's internet and digital communications - by moving toward post-quantum cryptography. An RMIT expert explains the urgency for Australia to prepare for this inevitability.
Associate Professor Nalin Arachchilage, School of Computing Technologies:
"Q-Day is not far away. Data being intercepted and stored today can sit quietly for years and still be broken open the moment sufficiently powerful quantum computers arrive. It's a problem for the present, with a future trigger.
"We're seeing global peers move their own timelines for quantum preparedness earlier. Google has already set their readiness for 2029, a full year ahead of Australia's recommended cut-off.
"When the organisations building quantum computers tell you to move faster than the regulator requires, that's a signal worth taking seriously.
"At RMIT, we're not just preparing for the quantum future, we're building it right now. Working together with industry, government, defence and academia, we're developing the frameworks, tools and training that will let Australia transition with confidence, rather than in crisis.
"The same forces reshaping cybersecurity - quantum computing and agentic artificial intelligence - are converging. As organisations rush to adopt AI-assisted coding, we're seeing a real risk of 'secure coding drift', where speed undermines the very protections post-quantum cryptography is meant to lock in.
"Australia needs to invest in its quantum-safe workforce now, so that when the quantum era arrives, we're not scrambling to catch up but standing ready to lead."
Associate Professor Nalin Arachchilage is a cyber security researcher at RMIT University.
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