A Rigorous Treatment of the Cryptanalytic Threat
This 8-hour deep dive is for professionals who need to understand the technical mechanics of the quantum threat. It covers quantum computing from qubits to logical operations, error correction thresholds, and the resource estimates for breaking RSA and ECC. It also teaches a structured method for assessing the timeline to a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC).
Course Outline
Module 1 Quantum Computing Mechanics
Qubits, superposition, and entanglement at a technical level. Quantum gates and circuits. Measurement and quantum state collapse. The mathematical framework needed to understand quantum algorithms. Physical versus logical qubits and why the distinction is central to threat assessment.
Module 2 Shor's Algorithm and Cryptanalysis
How Shor’s algorithm breaks RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography. The quantum Fourier transform and period finding. Why symmetric cryptography and hash functions are more resistant (Grover’s algorithm and its limits). Which cryptographic primitives are at risk, and how.
Module 3 Error Correction and Resource Estimates
Quantum error correction: why it is necessary and how it works. Error correction thresholds and the overhead from physical to logical qubits. Resource estimates for breaking RSA-2048 and ECC: how many logical qubits, how many physical qubits, how long. How resource estimates have changed over time, and why they are still uncertain.
Module 4 Timeline Assessment Methodology
A structured methodology for assessing the CRQC timeline. Reading hardware roadmaps critically. Distinguishing announced from demonstrated capabilities. Tracking error correction progress as the key indicator. Building a defensible timeline assessment from published research, without relying on vendor claims or media narratives.
Prerequisites
A working understanding of PQC fundamentals is recommended. Consider Post-Quantum Foundation or PQCS certification for background.
Certificate of Completion
Upon completion, you receive a Quantum Academy certificate of completion. It is separate from our professional certifications and states your CPE credits, one for each 60 minutes of teaching. CISSP, SSCP, CISM and CompTIA SecurityX holders can claim them with their certifying body. The credits also count toward renewing a Quantum Academy certification. Our CPE credits page explains how to claim them.
Who this course is for
Security researchers, cryptography engineers, technical analysts, and senior security architects who need to make or defend threat timeline assessments. Also appropriate for quantum computing professionals who want to understand the cryptanalytic application of quantum computing specifically.
What you’ll be able to do afterward
- Explain Shor’s algorithm mechanics and calculate resource estimates for specific cryptographic targets
- Assess Grover’s algorithm limitations (parallelization barriers, error-correction overhead)
- Apply the CRQC Capability Framework to evaluate threat claims
- Evaluate current hardware modalities and how far each is from cryptographic relevance
- Assess quantum computing research papers and threat analyses critically
- Construct defensible threat timeline assessments for organizational planning
What you leave with
When you finish, we email you the course handbook, a PDF of every slide with notes that explain it in full. We also include a PDF copy of Quantum Ready. The handbook is yours to keep.
Enrollment includes 180 days of access to the online on-demand course. Where that course is not yet published, the 180 days start on the day it is.
Where this course fits
Post-Quantum Foundation or PQCS Specialist Training provides the background for this course. You can take this course without either. If you want to move on to the migration side, take Post-Quantum Foundation. QCSP training covers the security of quantum systems themselves.
Why we teach this
The course is built on the Applied Quantum PQC Migration Framework. Its author, Marin Ivezic, is one of the practitioners who teach here. The framework is published openly under Creative Commons at pqcframework.org. The people who teach this course run migration programs inside organizations today. The course covers the problems they meet in that work.
About this program
Quantum Academy credentials are private professional credentials issued by Quantum Academy, a trade name of Post-Quantum Institute. They are not government-issued licenses, accredited degrees, or academic credit, and earning one does not guarantee employment, promotion, regulatory approval, or any other specific outcome.
Quantum Academy programs are educational and informational only, and are not legal, compliance, or engineering advice.