Quantum can wait: Why CISOs should focus on today’s preventable cyber risks

Pro Quantum can wait: Why CISOs should focus on today’s preventable cyber risks Opinion By Jon Abbott published 28 April 2026 Focusing on the cyber risks of today When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: sarayut Thaneerat/ via Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The cybersecurity industry has long grappled with how to prepare for threats on the horizon, and few have seized attention as firmly as quantum computing. The potential for quantum tech to unpick today’s toughest encryption has inspired a raft of reports and advisory notes.Official guidance from bodies like the NCSC has pushed quantum even higher up the agenda and, as a result, CISOs are increasingly being asked the same question: are we ready for a quantum future?Jon AbbottSocial Links NavigationCEO and Co-founder at ThreatAware.It is a fair question, because quantum computing will, eventually, force a fundamental shift in how we protect sensitive data. But eventually is the key word. Most credible estimates place that moment in the early to mid-2030s.Article continues below You may like Forget the AI Armageddon—quantum computing is the real threat to digital security How to meaningfully measure the effectiveness of cyber resilience When confidence becomes a risk: The gap between cyber resilience readiness and reality While quantum is an attention-grabbing threat, it’s also the latest in an on-going trend in which we’re in danger of overlooking today’s security fundamentals in favor of focusing on tomorrow’s threats.It’s true that we can’t afford to ignore futuristic threats entirely, however this can’t come at the expense of distractions from the very real, very preventable breaches happening right now.After all, almost any major cyber attack over the past decade shared one thing in common, somewhere along the attack chain, there was a gap in basic cyber hygiene.Separating genuine threat from shiny distractionQuantum computing is a serious long-term consideration. And on the surface, a meeting about theoretical quantum threats could certainly feel more engaging that one that covers more routine issues like improving EDR deployments and MFA usage. window.sliceComponents = window.sliceComponents || {}; externalsScriptLoaded.then(() => { window.reliablePageLoad.then(() => { var componentContainer = document.querySelector("#slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-pxWrReqe35GZJwcTZXuXP3"); if (componentContainer) { var data = {"layout":"inbodyContent","header":"Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter","tagline":"Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!","formFooterText":"By submitting your information you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/futureplc.com\/terms-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms & Conditions<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/futureplc.com\/privacy-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and are aged 16 or over.","usDisclaimerFooterText":"By signing up, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\\\/\\\/futureplc.com\\\/terms-conditions\\\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of services <\/a> and acknowledge that you have read our <a href=\"https:\\\/\\\/futureplc.com\\\/privacy-policy\\\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at TechRadar.