Are You Ready to Take the Quantum Leap?

Imagine waking up one morning to find that the encryption protecting your business’s most sensitive data, your customer records, financials & intellectual property, has been rendered obsolete overnight. It’s not science fiction. It’s the looming reality of quantum computing. 

As part of Cyber Security Awareness Month 2025, the Australian Government is urging organisations to prepare for the quantum future. The message is clear: “Are you ready for post-quantum cryptography? Don’t wait, take the quantum leap to keep your organisation’s communications, information and data secure.”

Let’s Start With, What is Quantum Computing and Quantum Readiness?

Quantum computers, unlike classical computers, use quantum bits (qubits) that can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This allows them to solve complex mathematical problems exponentially faster than today’s machines. While this opens up exciting possibilities in fields like medicine, logistics and AI, it also poses a serious threat to cyber security.

A cryptographically-relevant quantum computer (CRQC) will be capable of breaking widely used public-key encryption protocols such as RSA and ECC. These protocols currently secure everything from online banking and email to government communications and cloud services. Once a CRQC becomes a reality, data encrypted with these traditional methods could be decrypted in minutes instead of decades as with classic computers.

Quantum readiness refers to an organisation’s preparedness to transition from traditional encryption methods to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), a new generation of cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand the immense processing power of quantum computers.

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What is the Australian Government Saying?

The Australian Government, through the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), is sounding the alarm: quantum computing will disrupt cyber security and organisations must act now to prepare.

Here’s what they’re emphasizing:

• A CRQC will render current public-key encryption insecure, putting communications, data and systems at risk.
• Organisations should be quantum-ready by 2030, but the planning must begin now.
• “Harvest now, decrypt later” is a real threat: adversaries may already be collecting encrypted data to decrypt once quantum capabilities are available.
• Education is critical: relevant staff must understand what quantum computing means for cyber security.
• Legacy systems that can’t be upgraded should be decommissioned.

To support this transition, the government recommends a practical roadmap for organisations to follow.

How to Get Quantum Ready: The LATICE Framework

To help organisations prepare, the ASD recommends the LATICE framework, a practical five-step approach to quantum readiness:

1. Locate and catalogue the use of traditional asymmetric cryptography across your systems.
2. Assess the value and sensitivity of the data and systems protected by these cryptographic methods.
3. Triage systems and prioritise them for transition based on risk and impact.
4. Implement post-quantum cryptographic algorithms throughout your infrastructure.
5. Communicate with vendors and stakeholders and educate your teams on the PQC transition.

This framework provides a structured roadmap to help organisations navigate the complexities of quantum readiness. It’s not just about technology, it’s about people, processes, and partnerships.

How Diamond IT Can Help

Quantum computing is on the horizon and very much on the radar for Government and Critical Infrastructure, with the ACSC promoting: “Don’t wait, take the quantum leap to prepare for post-quantum cryptography.”

However it is important to be transparent. Most vendors and products in the SMB & Mid Market space are not yet ready for quantum-resistant cryptography. Things like web certificates, VPNs, and data storage don’t yet support quantum-safe options and even where stronger choices like AES-256 or TLS 1.3 exist, not all vendors offer and/or support them. So, organisations will mostly have to wait for big companies like Microsoft or Fortinet to update their products before they can use quantum-resistant security.

In the meantime, SMBs & Mid Market businesses should:

• Focus on good governance, regular updates and strong encryption.
• Stay informed about quantum developments and vendor announcements.
• Begin the Locate and Catalogue step to ensure systems where encryption is used are readily known 
• Understand that quantum readiness is a journey.

There’s no direct action most organisations can take today to become quantum-ready, but being aware, prepared and proactive will ensure you’re ready to act when the industry shifts.

Diamond IT will keep you informed and help you adapt as the landscape evolves. 👉 Reach us via phone on 1300 307 907, via email at enquiries@diamondit.com.au or fill out the form below.