Quantum expert urges organisations to audit cryptography before the post-quantum shift
Robert Covington says quantum computers remain largely experimental, but companies should already prepare for a transition to post-quantum systems.
Quantum computers do not yet replace conventional machines and are used mainly for experimental problems, cybersecurity expert Robert Covington told LA NACION. At the Ekoparty conference in Buenos Aires, he presented Quantum Village Argentina, a competition intended to introduce participants to quantum programming. Covington said future quantum devices could handle specific calculations while working alongside CPUs and GPUs.
He sees the transition to post-quantum cryptography as the main practical challenge. Covington said many companies and governments are not ready. He urged organisations to create an inventory of their digital systems and the cryptographic methods each one uses. Such a record, he said, would help track which systems have been migrated and plan the remaining work.
Some estimates put the arrival of a quantum computer capable of breaking current cryptographic systems in 2029 or 2030. Covington stressed the uncertainty of those projections, saying the expected date for Q-Day often seems to move five years into the future. Ordinary users may not notice the transition, he said, while businesses face extensive preparation.
