Q-Day Could Lead To Hacking Nuclear Weapons

Uploaded on 2025-04-01 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Quantum Computing, TECHNOLOGY--Developments, GOVERNMENT-Defence, FREE TO VIEW

Q-Day is the unspecified, but inevitable coming day, when quantum computers will be capable of breaking the encryption algorithms we currently rely on to secure the Internet and a host of digital processes.

This is an alarming prospect, as Q-Day could lead to the hacking of countries’ nuclear weapons programs, according to Yigal Unna, former head of Israel's National Cyber Directorate (INCD) at the recent Cybertech Conference in Tel Aviv.

Q-Day was also coined for the dress rehearsal of the first atom bomb test in 1945. The present Q-day question is about how soon progress in quantum computing will cross a threshold which will allow hacking of virtually all existing online platforms.

While some observers believe that this threshold will only be crossed within a few short years, Unna said there were signs that it might have already been crossed, in a reference to reports that Chinese scientists succeeded in cracking a military grade computer defence system in late 2024.

Unna was INCD chief from 2018-early 2022, after which he was replaced by Gaby Portnoy, who was INCD chief from early 2022 until February this year, including during the current Gaza conflict. Portnoy warned the conference that, “Iran with a click of a button, can attack Israel and are doing it three times more than before. But they can also attack the US, UK, Albania, and even the UAE and the Saudis... To meet this kind of challenge, we need to build better resilience, improve the culture of sharing, change all of the time…It’s not just about critical infrastructure…but we must also look at our supply chain, our service providers, and the wider range of small and medium business,” Portnoy said.

At the same conference, the current Acting INCD chief Nitzan Amar said that despite a 300% spike in cyber attacks against Israel by Iran and Hezbollah during the war that, we managed a zero success of major cyber attacks against the Israeli since the attack by Hamas terrorists. Amar also said that Israel’s enemies could not harm Israeli national infrastructure.

Image: gerasimov174

You Might Also Read:

Safeguarding Data In The Quantum Computing Era:

If you like this website and use the comprehensive 7,000-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription.