Threats from quantum computers require decisions in healthcare

A new report from RISE, in collaboration with E-hälsomyndigheten, and funded by Vinnova, states that time is short. Hackers have already begun collecting encrypted data that can be decrypted once quantum computers become powerful enough and then be used for purposes such as extortion. For health data, which retains its value throughout an individual’s entire lifetime, this is a potentially existential threat. The problem is urgent, and crucial decisions must be made now, ahead of procurements and in management groups.

“The greatest threat is not technical uncertainty but passivity, and decision-makers need to be aware of that. There are no finalized standards yet, but there are basic standards for post-quantum cryptography, PQC, which allow the work to begin. And it needs to be done now. If we wait to start until everything is in place, we risk falling several years behind,” says Michael Popoff, senior researcher in quantum technologies at RISE.

Framework agreements signed in 2026 will determine whether systems are equipped with PQC by 2030, when the EU requires it, and requirements for PQC preparedness must be introduced immediately.

“We see a development where security requirements are becoming an increasingly clear part of public procurement. This gives public actors a strategic opportunity to steer the market,” says Åse Lundh Gravenius, senior researcher and legal expert at RISE.

The issue is therefore not only technical but also highly organisational and ethical.

“The solutions are there, the technology is there, so let’s talk about it. This is not an IT issue but a management issue. Health data consists of stories about people’s lives, collected in trust. Protecting them is not only a legal obligation but also a social responsibility,” says Michael Popoff.

RISE is now leading a Vinnova-funded project to prepare the healthcare sector for the transition to quantum-safe IT systems. The project concludes at the end of 2028, and the goal is to have a secured transition to quantum-safe solutions for the healthcare sector by 2030.

More info:

https://www.ri.se/en/quantum-technology/project/the-future-ecosystem-for-quantum-secure-health-data

Press contact:
Michael Popoff, Senior researcher, RISE
michael.popoff@ri.se, +46 70 778 77 69

Åse Lundh Gravenius, Senior researcher and Legal expert, RISE
åse.lundh.gravenius@ri..se, +46 73 021 30 96