‘Harvest now, decrypt later’: Hackers are stealing data they can’t even read yet—banking on quantum computers to crack it later
- Posted on July 20, 2026
- By Fortune
- 0 Views
- 1 min read
Cybercriminals are executing a sophisticated long-term strategy known as 'harvest now, decrypt later,' stealing encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it once quantum computing technology becomes sufficiently advanced. This emerging threat poses significant risks to organizations storing sensitive information, as current encryption standards may become vulnerable to quantum-powered attacks in the coming years. Security experts warn that businesses must begin implementing quantum-resistant encryption protocols immediately to protect their most critical assets.
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