Google Quantum AI study finds RSA encryption breakable with fewer qubits than assumed, compressing Q Day timeline

A study by Google’s Quantum AI team published in March 2026 and analysed in The Conversation on 13 April shows that the qubit resources needed to break widely used RSA encryption may be far lower than earlier estimates, compressing the timeline for when current cryptographic protections could become vulnerable. The research indicates that Q Day, the point at which a quantum computer can crack today’s encryption, may arrive sooner than the decade-long window most assessments have assumed. NIST finalised its first three post-quantum cryptographic standards in August 2024, and migration to these algorithms is actively underway across banking, defence and critical infrastructure in 2026. For law enforcement systems that rely on encrypted evidence chains, secure communications and identity databases, the finding reinforces the urgency of PQC migration planning.