Quantum computing breakthrough could shatter modern encryption within years

A team of physicists at a leading Brisbane research institute have unveiled what they describe as a major step forward in stable quantum computing — a development that, while exciting, carries significant implications for global cybersecurity.

Their newly demonstrated qubit architecture maintains coherence for substantially longer than previously achieved, opening the door to practical quantum machines years ahead of most predictions.

Cryptographers are now warning that widely used encryption standards, which underpin everything from online banking to confidential government communications, may need to be replaced sooner than expected.

Governments and major technology companies have already begun investing heavily in post-quantum cryptography, but experts caution that the transition will be enormously complex and far from cheap.