Start Here, Free
The quantum threat to cryptography is real, the standards are finalized, and the migration is already underway. If you are trying to understand what that means — for your organization, your career, or just your own understanding — this free one-hour course is the place to start.
It is also a genuine sample of how Quantum Academy teaches: structured, evidence-based, vendor-independent, and built for working professionals. No fear-selling, no hype, no padding. If you find this course useful, our full programs apply the same approach in much greater depth.
What This Course Covers
In about an hour, you will come away able to:
- Explain, in plain terms, why quantum computers threaten the cryptography that protects data today
- Understand the difference between the quantum computing milestones in the headlines and the specific capability that would actually break encryption
- Recognize the harvest-now-decrypt-later threat and why it makes the timeline shorter than it appears
- Identify what NIST has standardized and what a migration involves at a high level
- Know where to go next if you want to build real competence
Course Outline
Part 1 — The Threat (about 20 minutes)
What quantum computers can and cannot do. Why public-key cryptography is vulnerable and symmetric cryptography is less so. The difference between quantum advantage and a cryptographically relevant quantum computer. Why no one can give you a firm date, and why that does not mean you can wait.
Part 2 — Why Now (about 20 minutes)
The harvest-now-decrypt-later threat: data being collected today for future decryption. Trust-now-forge-later: the risk to digital signatures. The regulatory deadlines, insurance pressures, and client expectations creating urgency independent of when a quantum computer arrives.
Part 3 — What Comes Next (about 20 minutes)
What NIST standardized and why it matters. What a post-quantum migration involves at a high level. How organizations are approaching it. Where to go from here if you want to develop real skills, lead a migration, or earn a credential.
Who This Is For
Anyone curious about quantum security: security professionals, IT staff, managers, students, and the simply curious. No technical or cryptography background is required.
Format
Free. Self-paced. Approximately one hour. Available on the Quantum Academy learning platform. Enroll with just an email address and start immediately.
What You Will Not Find Here
This is an introduction, not a certification course. It will not prepare you for a Quantum Academy exam or make you ready to lead a migration. For that, our Post-Quantum Foundation course and the PQCS certification track go far deeper. But this free hour will give you a solid mental model and help you decide where to invest next.
After This Course
If you want to go further:
- Post-Quantum Foundation — the half-day course that begins the certification track
- Quantum Security for Executives — if you make decisions rather than implement them
- Browse all courses and certifications — the full catalog across every quantum technology domain