For years, we\u2019ve heard the oft-repeated phrase \u201cquantum is coming.\u201d Quantum computing is reminiscent of the phrase \u201cWinter is Coming\u201d from the Game of Thrones<\/em> HBO series in that, much like the Night King and White Walkers, it often conjures a sense of dread in cybersecurity professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, quantum computing would mark one of the most significant technological advancements of our lifetime \u2014 it’s poised to solve global problems. It could be capable of near-instantaneous diagnoses or, perhaps, cures for (currently) incurable diseases. But in addition to immense opportunities, quantum computing also poses significant threats in the form of its immense processing power and ability to break public key cryptography<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, having broken public key algorithms means that potentially decades\u2019 worth of personal and otherwise sensitive data could be exposed and exploited via harvest now, decrypt later (HNDL) attacks<\/a>. Research from Deloitte<\/a> shows that more than half (50.2%) of cybersecurity professionals are concerned about these attacks, which could lay bare everything from social security numbers and personal health records to trade secrets and intellectual property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although quantum computers have been on the horizon for decades, they\u2019ve yet to truly arrive. However, according to a recent paper published in Nature<\/em><\/a>, that future reality may change sooner than expected. Researchers working on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency\u2019s (DARPA) Optimization with Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum devices (ONISQ) program<\/a> were able to develop a first-ever quantum circuit that operates using logical quantum bits (i.e., qubits, pronounced \u201cque bits\u201d). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not sure what that means? That\u2019s what we\u2019re here for! We\u2019ll look under the hood to better understand what this breakthrough entails, how it\u2019s poised to impact your business (down the road), and what you can do to start preparing for quantum computers now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s hash it out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n In a nutshell, a crack team of researchers from Harvard<\/a>, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)<\/a>, California Institute of Technology (CalTech),<\/a> National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)<\/a>, QuEra Computing<\/a>, and Princeton<\/a> has found a way to create a quantum processor with the highest known number of logical qubits. (Logical qubits are more controllable than physical qubit-based systems and can better correct errors in quantum computations.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how\u2019d they do it? In part, by using atomic particles and lasers. While it may not be as cool as \u201csharks with freakin\u2019 laser beams attached to their heads,\u201d the thought here is that their research could open the door to more research that will enable the scaling and capitalization of logical qubit devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTL;DR: A 60-Second Overview of What\u2019s Occurred (And Why You Should Care)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n