Cloud
Kyndryl and Unicre extend partnership to accelerate digital innovation
Press release
Dec 15, 2025
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Experts expect quantum computing to be commercially available to varying degrees within the next five years. That’s practically tomorrow in the technology world, so organizations need to get ready today. The good news is that quantum holds promise for revolutionary approaches to research, innovation and the ways people operate. Think personalized drug therapies, or greatly increased accuracy in everything from insurance premiums to logistics and consumer services.
So what’s all the fuss about? Bad guys.
In the quantum era, disruptive actors will potentially have the tools to bypass even today’s most sophisticated digital defenses. Their goal will be to hijack customer and operational data to divert resources for theft. Without robust actions to prepare, they’ll succeed because quantum introduces a new way of computing — one that current systems based on legacy technologies never anticipated. The bad guys are licking their chops, so it’s time to get ready.
Paul Savill and Kris Lovejoy detail the potential promises and pitfalls of quantum computing, and why organizations need to develop quantum safe strategies to get ready.
What experts worry about
Quantum computers may be able to decode traditional encryption methods — potentially exposing financial services and other types of sensitive data that have been secure for decades.
Payment gateways, customer databases (including personal and payment information), cloud infrastructure and mainframes are the whales that quantum criminals will seek to harpoon.
Thieves are stealing encrypted data now so they can use quantum tools to decrypt it later.
Q-Day — the day quantum computing reaches the critical milestone of being able to decrypt current safeguards — is expected to occur by 2030. But awareness remains low. Case in point: the Kyndryl 2025 Readiness Report found only 4% of business leaders believe quantum will disrupt their organizations in the next three years.
How to get ready for quantum computing
Organizations must accept that quantum computing is a strategic imperative, not a distant concern. This shift in mindset also must include acknowledgement that quantum risk mitigation will require multi-year strategies for the modernization of networks, applications, supply chains and more. Planning starts now. And the potential for “harvest now/decrypt later” data theft makes the early adoption of quantum-resistant solutions essential. Waiting will only increase risk and cost.
Items for the enterprise to-do list include:
Achieving cryptographic agility: Start by forming a leadership-level task force to drive your organization’s long-term quantum preparedness efforts.
Conducting a “crypto census”: Inventory public-key cryptography across the business, identify the most vulnerable areas, and prioritize them for modernization.
Charting a quantum migration roadmap: Companies must update their technology systems to the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms approved by the regulatory bodies that oversee their industries. This will be more than a routine IT upgrade, as quantum-safe strategies must include Zero Trust security for identity, endpoint, network and data protection.
Collaborating with knowledgeable partners: Bulletproof technical expertise is table stakes. Add cross-industry knowledge and shared goals to the mix, and organizations will be on the right track. This is no time for generic modernization approaches or “we’ll make it fit” solutions.
There’s much more to consider, but these fundamentals will help enterprises prepare for the quantum era. Quantum computing will have a broad and transformative impact on a variety of industries — especially those where data has a long shelf life. Financial services, healthcare, logistics, telecom, energy, utilities, aerospace and government all could be at risk.
Quantum will be the next iteration of how computing modernizes how people live and work. Organizations that work with trusted partners will get it right, and will establish foundations for future agility as the technology evolves.
