From our bank accounts to smartphones, all our sensitive data and devices are protected with a technology known as cryptography. Present-day cryptography essentially uses a very challenging set of math problems that are nearly impossible for current computers to solve. These math problems act as a “lock” to keep hackers or spies away from the personal information in your “house.”

But experts are working to develop specialized machines: quantum computers. These computers have incredible potential to do tasks that current computers struggle with, such as discovering new medications. The downside is that they may also have the potential to thwart today’s cryptography. Sufficiently powerful versions of these machines could put all our personal information, financial transactions, and business and government secrets at risk.

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