Cryptography experts say the race to fend off future quantum-computer attacks has entered a decisive but measured phase, with companies quietly replacing the internet plumbing that the majority of the industry once considered unbreakable. Speaking at Cloudflare’s Trust Forward Summit on Wednesday, encryption leaders at IBM Research, Amazon Web Services and Cloudflare outlined how organizations are refitting cryptographic tools that safeguard online banking, medical data and government communications. The aim is to stay ahead of quantum machines that, once powerful enough, could decode the math protecting today’s digital traffic. “Over the next five to 10 years you’re going to see a Cambrian explosion of different cryptographic systems,” said Wesley Evans, a product manager for Cloudflare’s research team, referring to an evolutionary period with a rapid diversification of animal life that occurred roughly 540 million years ago. “Whether it’s nationalized cryptography out of South Korea [or] new standards from [the National Institute of Standards and Technology], this is a time to think about not just, ‘how am I doing my post-quantum migration?’ but ‘how am I doing my whole crypto-agility platform?’ and ‘how am I thinking through my audits and inventory?’” he said.

Full report : Cryptography experts said a “Cambrian explosion” of standards is on its way as a response to worries over quantum computers breaking current algorithms.