Quantum: protecting tomorrow’s health data today
Quantum computers threaten today’s encryption. For health data that must stay confidential for decades, the topic needs preparing now.
A delayed-action threat
A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break today’s public-key encryption algorithms (RSA, elliptic curves). The immediate risk is “harvest now, decrypt later”: data encrypted today can be copied and read tomorrow. Patient records, genomic data and clinical-trial data are particularly exposed, as their confidentiality lifetime is measured in decades.
Standards already exist
NIST published the first post-quantum cryptography standards in 2024 (ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA). European cybersecurity agencies, including ANSSI, recommend anticipating the transition, favouring hybrid approaches that combine current and post-quantum algorithms.
Where to start
- Cryptographic inventory: where RSA, ECC and their certificates are used, including in connected devices.
- Prioritisation: rank data by lifetime and sensitivity.
- Crypto-agility: design systems so the algorithm can be swapped without rebuilding everything.
- Roadmap: plan the migration with suppliers and hosting providers.
General information, not legal advice.