Bringing quantum computers online and to market could one day enable advances in areas such as medical research, but if hackers get access, they could potentially break through the powerful encryption schemes that currently protect data exchanged between devices.
Today’s most promising quantum-resistant encryption scheme is called “lattice-based cryptography,” which hides information in complex mathematical structures. To date, no known quantum algorithm can break through its defences. But these schemes are way too computationally intense for IoT devices, which can only spare enough energy for simple data processing.