People have been talking about quantum computers being “just around the corner” for years. In 2026, the discussion has moved from “if” to “when”. Algorithms like Shor’s could eventually break the encryption that protects most websites, VPN connections and even stored password hashes. So are your current passwords still safe? When might quantum computers actually become a problem? And what exactly is post-quantum cryptography? Here’s a straightforward explanation of where things stand right now and what you can do today to get ready.
1. How Quantum Computers Could Threaten Passwords and Encryption
Today’s encryption depends on math problems that are incredibly hard for normal computers to solve, like factoring huge numbers for RSA or calculating discrete logarithms for Diffie-Hellman and ECC. Shor’s algorithm, if run on a powerful enough quantum computer, solves those problems much faster. That could mean public-key encryption (used in HTTPS, VPNs and SSH) gets broken, digital signatures become forgeable, and old stored password hashes using weaker algorithms could be cracked after the fact.
2. When Might Quantum Computers Actually Break Things?
Based on what experts from IBM, Google, NIST and others are saying in 2026, here’s a realistic timeline:
- Between 2025 and 2028: we still don’t have cryptographically relevant quantum computers – they would need millions of stable qubits
- 2030 to 2035: this is the most likely window for breaking current standards like RSA-2048 or ECC-256
- Harvest now, decrypt later: governments and organized crime groups are already collecting encrypted data (TLS sessions, backups, VPN traffic) so they can crack it once the tech arrives
Bottom line: your passwords aren’t in immediate danger from quantum attacks in 2026, but the move to quantum-resistant systems needs to start now.
3. What Is Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)?
Post-quantum cryptography means new encryption algorithms built specifically to resist attacks from future quantum computers. NIST finished the first official standards in 2024 and 2025:
- ML-KEM (based on Kyber) for key encapsulation
- ML-DSA (based on Dilithium) for digital signatures
- SLH-DSA (based on SPHINCS+) as a hash-based backup option
These are already appearing in Chrome, Cloudflare, OpenSSL and some VPNs.
4. Are Passwords Themselves at Risk from Quantum?
Not really, at least not directly. Quantum computers don’t suddenly make guessing passwords faster – Grover’s algorithm only gives a quadratic speedup, so a random twelve-character password stays extremely hard to crack even with quantum help. The real concern is if passwords are stored using weak old hashing algorithms like MD5 or SHA-1 in a leaked database – quantum could speed up cracking those.
So the danger comes from stolen hashes, not from someone brute-forcing your live login.
5. Practical Steps You Can Take in 2026
- Use longer random passwords – aim for at least sixteen characters (our generator can make them for you quickly)
- Switch to passkeys wherever they’re available – many already use quantum-resistant signatures under the hood
- Enable TOTP or hardware-based two-factor authentication – it adds strong protection even if a password leaks
- Choose services that are moving to post-quantum cryptography – Cloudflare, Google and Microsoft are leading the way
- Keep browsers, VPNs and operating systems fully updated – they’re gradually adding PQC support
- Watch for breach notifications – if an old password hash shows up in a leak, change it right away
Conclusion
Quantum computing isn’t going to break passwords tomorrow in 2026 – but the clock is ticking. The encouraging part is that the industry is moving quickly toward post-quantum cryptography, and you can stay ahead with basic good habits: longer passwords, no reuse, passkeys when possible, and keeping everything up to date.
Quantum is on its way, but if you’re already using strong unique passwords and modern MFA, you’re in a much better spot than most people.