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Security Fundamentals & Crypto · Advanced

Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC)

A quantum computer powerful enough to break widely used public key cryptography such as RSA and ECC.

Definition

A CRQC would run Shor's algorithm at scale, requiring large numbers of error-corrected logical qubits. No CRQC exists publicly as of 2026, but estimates of required resources have fallen significantly. Migration planning assumes one could arrive within the protection lifetime of today's data.

Example

Agencies plan PQC migration now because data encrypted today may need to stay confidential after a CRQC exists.

Exam tip

The threat is to asymmetric crypto; the timeline uncertainty drives harvest-now-decrypt-later concerns.

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