Off the back of this, Paulina Gomez, senior advisor of portfolio marketing at global networking firm Ciena, praised the industry's growing commitment to innovation while urging decision-makers not to lose sight of the potential cybersecurity threats posed by the very technologies being championed.
“As quantum computing advances, it’s changing how we think about data security and ensuring information remains confidential as it travels across networks,” Gomez said.
“The opportunity now lies in building networks that aren’t just faster and more agile, but resilient against the future threats posed by quantum-enabled attacks.”
Gomez highlighted the increasing urgency to futureproof communications infrastructure, particularly as quantum computers move closer to real-world deployment and bring with them the capability to break today’s standard encryption.
“To safeguard critical in-flight data against these risks, we’re seeing two approaches that are gaining traction: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which uses quantum physics to securely exchange encryption keys, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), which introduces new advanced encryption algorithms designed to withstand quantum computing threats,” she said.
Gomez added that combining these techniques with existing encryption would ensure the long-term confidentiality of sensitive data — from financial transactions to personal health records — against “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attacks, a growing concern where adversaries store encrypted information with the intention of decrypting it once quantum capabilities catch up.
Her remarks follow the UK Government’s announcement, timed to coincide with World Quantum Day, of a significant boost to the country’s quantum ambitions.
A quantum leap for the UK
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described the £121 million investment as a major milestone in the government’s “Plan for Change”, designed to stimulate economic growth and technological leadership.
“Quantum — manipulating the universe at its smallest scale — has the potential to save millions for our economy, create thousands of jobs and improve businesses across the country,” Kyle said. “Backing our world-class quantum researchers and businesses is an important part of our Plan for Change.”
The funding will support a wide range of initiatives, from fraud prevention and health diagnostics to advanced navigation and measurement. Projects already underway include a collaboration between HSBC and the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) to explore how quantum algorithms can detect the early indicators of money laundering — a crime that costs the UK economy over £2.6 billion annually.
The government claims today’s investment will not only expand the use of quantum technologies in real-world scenarios but also help secure the UK’s position as a global quantum leader, second only to the United States in the number of companies working in the field.
Where the money is going
Highlights of the investment package include:
- £46.1 million through Innovate UK to accelerate deployment in computing, networking, positioning and sensing.
- £21 million for the NQCC to further testbed development and collaborative research.
- £23.6 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to support five regional research hubs and training initiatives.
Additional funding to support quantum apprenticeships and early-career researchers, ensuring long-term skills development in the sector.
While the funding has been widely applauded for its scale and ambition, Gomez’s comments underscore a growing consensus: that quantum progress must go hand-in-hand with robust safeguards.
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