Jeff Prevost Warns RSA-2048 Faces Q Day Threat as NIST Pushes New Standards
Updated
Updated · news.utsa.edu · Aug 3
Jeff Prevost Warns RSA-2048 Faces Q Day Threat as NIST Pushes New Standards
1 articles · Updated · news.utsa.edu · Aug 3
Summary
Jeff Prevost said “Q Day” would arrive when quantum computers can crack today’s encryption, turning widely used RSA-2048 protections into a target and exposing data already stolen under a “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy.
Shor’s algorithm sits at the center of that risk, he said, because it could let quantum machines break the cryptography that underpins much of the internet and other connected systems.
Critical infrastructure and devices could be vulnerable well beyond websites, with Prevost pointing to GPS-dependent power grids and Internet of Things products such as insulin pumps, cars and even coffee makers running old encryption.
NIST’s post-quantum cryptography standards and quantum key distribution are emerging defenses, while Prevost said the shift is also creating workforce opportunities from Sandia and Albuquerque to San Antonio.