The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) today published its latest Quantum Technology Primer: Computing, the second in an important series designed to help organizations navigate the rapidly evolving quantum landscape.
Targeted at small and medium businesses, large organizations, critical infrastructure, and government entities, the primer delivers a clear, practical warning: quantum computing is advancing fast, and the window for preparation is narrowing.
“It is crucial that organisations understand the risks and challenges quantum computing poses,” the ACSC states. “Rapid advancements in quantum computing are narrowing the window to prepare, making early action crucial to avoid future vulnerabilities.”
For privacy and compliance professionals — especially those using tools like Captain Compliance to manage data protection, risk assessments, and regulatory obligations — this release is a timely call to action. The primer spotlights cryptographic threats, “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, supply-chain vulnerabilities, cloud API exposures, and critical skills shortages, while reinforcing the need to integrate quantum readiness into existing governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) frameworks.
Quantum Computing 101: Why Compliance Teams Must Pay Attention
Classical computers process information using bits (0 or 1). Quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in superposition — representing 0, 1, or both simultaneously — enabling them to solve certain complex problems exponentially faster than even the most powerful classical supercomputers.
The ACSC emphasizes that quantum computers will not replace classical systems; instead, they will complement them for specialized tasks such as optimization, simulation, and — most critically for compliance — breaking certain types of cryptography.
A cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) is the threshold system capable of running algorithms (like Shor’s) that can efficiently factor large numbers and solve discrete logarithms — the mathematical foundations of today’s RSA, ECC, Diffie-Hellman, and ECDSA asymmetric cryptography.
The Five Key Cybersecurity Risks Highlighted by ACSC
The primer outlines five practical risk areas that directly intersect with privacy, third-party risk, data retention, and operational resilience obligations:
- Cryptographic Vulnerability from CRQCs
Once a CRQC exists, virtually all classical asymmetric cryptography becomes vulnerable. This threatens encrypted data at rest, in transit, digital signatures, and authentication systems. The ACSC directs readers to its companion guidance on Planning for Post-Quantum Cryptography (updated September 2025) and the Information Security Manual (ISM). - “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” (HNDL) Attacks
Adversaries are already collecting encrypted data today — even if they cannot read it yet — with the intention of decrypting it once a CRQC becomes available. This is particularly dangerous for long-lived sensitive or personal information (PII, health data, intellectual property, or classified material). Organisations must assume that any data encrypted with classical algorithms today could be exposed in the future. - Supply-Chain Risks
Quantum hardware relies on highly specialized materials and vendors. The primer warns of potential tampering, counterfeit components, or malicious implants in hardware, firmware, and software. Compliance teams should demand verifiable chains of trust, secure development lifecycles, and transparency from quantum-related suppliers — extending existing third-party risk management programs. - Cloud API Vulnerabilities
Many organisations will first encounter quantum computing via cloud-hosted services (e.g., quantum processors accessed through APIs). These introduce new attack surfaces: unauthorised job submission, manipulation of quantum workloads, denial-of-service, or data exfiltration. The ACSC stresses a shared-responsibility model: vendors must implement strong authentication, rate-limiting, and monitoring; customers must apply least-privilege access and continuous oversight. - Lack of Expertise and Resources
A global shortage of professionals skilled in quantum computing and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) already exists. Without targeted upskilling, organizations risk delayed migrations, misconfigurations, and compliance gaps. The primer recommends cross-disciplinary teams (cryptography, quantum tech, software engineering, and network architecture) plus investment in training and certification.
Compliance and Privacy Implications: Beyond Pure Cybersecurity
For Captain Compliance users and privacy leaders, the quantum threat has direct regulatory and operational ramifications:
- Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) & Data Protection by Design — Long-term confidentiality of personal information is now at risk. APP 11 (security of personal information) and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme require organizations to reassess controls for data that may need protection for decades.
- Security of Critical Infrastructure Act & ISM — Critical infrastructure entities must demonstrate quantum-resilient controls as part of their risk management programs.
- Global Alignment — The ACSC aligns with NIST, CISA, UK NCSC, and others pushing PQC migration. Multinational organizations must harmonise approaches to avoid fragmented compliance.
- Data Retention & Destruction Policies — HNDL attacks make “delete when no longer needed” more urgent. Privacy impact assessments (PIAs) and data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) should now include quantum risk scoring for high-value, long-retention datasets.
- Vendor & Contract Management — New contract clauses should require suppliers to disclose quantum-readiness roadmaps and support for PQC/hybrid schemes.
Actionable Roadmap: Preparing Your Organisation (LATICE Framework)
The ACSC’s Planning for Post-Quantum Cryptography guidance provides a clear five-phase LATICE framework:
- Locate – Build a Cryptographic Bill of Materials (CBOM) inventorying every use of traditional asymmetric cryptography across applications, cloud services, OT, hardware, and libraries.
- Assess – Evaluate data sensitivity, business impact of compromise, and regulatory exposure.
- Triage – Prioritize systems handling sensitive/long-lived data or those hardest to update.
- Implement – Migrate to PQC algorithms (following updated ISM guidelines). Hybrid post-quantum/traditional schemes are permitted for interoperability but not as a permanent solution.
- Communicate & Educate – Ensure stakeholders understand performance impacts (larger keys, slower operations) and maintain transparency.
Recommended Timelines (per ACSC/ASD):
- End of 2026: Complete refined PQC transition plan.
- End of 2028: Begin migration of critical/high-priority systems.
- End of 2030: Fully cease use of traditional asymmetric cryptography vulnerable to CRQCs.
Additional immediate steps:
- Conduct a quantum-readiness gap analysis using Captain Compliance’s risk registers and vendor questionnaires.
- Pilot PQC libraries and test performance in non-production environments.
- Strengthen network segmentation and access controls around any quantum cloud services.
- Invest in workforce development — partner with universities or platforms offering quantum literacy and PQC certification.
Download the Resources
- ACSC Quantum Technology Primer: Computing (PDF)
- Planning for Post-Quantum Cryptography guidance
- Full Quantum series on cyber.gov.au
Conclusion: Quantum Readiness Is the New Competitive Advantage
The ACSC’s new primer makes one thing abundantly clear: waiting for a CRQC to appear is not an option. Organisations that treat quantum risk as a compliance, privacy, and strategic imperative today will protect their data, customers, and reputation tomorrow.
Captain Compliance exists to make exactly this kind of complex, forward-looking risk management straightforward. Our platform helps privacy and compliance teams maintain live cryptographic inventories, automate vendor risk assessments, track regulatory alignment, and generate audit-ready reports — all with quantum considerations now built into the roadmap.
Start your quantum readiness assessment today. Because in the quantum era, the most compliant organizations won’t just survive — they’ll lead. Get a free Quantum Readiness Privacy Audit by booking a demo below with one of our compliance superhero team members.
