Vietnam Prepares for the Post-Quantum Cryptography Era

“Digital signatures and trusted digital infrastructure form the backbone of our digital economy,” remarked Ms. To Thi Thu Huong. She serves as Director of the National Electronic Authentication Center (NEAC). Furthermore, she shared this insight during a workshop on the morning of July 21 in Hanoi. NEAC organized the event.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), digital signatures, and trust services secure digital identities. Meanwhile, they ensure data integrity and the legal validity of electronic transactions. Mr. Lackern Xu spoke at the event. He manages solution engineering at DigiCert. PKI appears in nearly every daily digital activity, he noted. Users rely on it for ride-hailing apps, airport check-ins, Wi-Fi connections, and online payments.

“Public Key Infrastructure is no longer just a security function. Instead, it has become essential infrastructure for every business, government agency, and nation,” he stated.

Ms. To Thi Thu Huong, Director of the National Electronic Authentication Center. Photo: Trong Dat/VnExpress 

Quantum computing creates a major turning point for this era, Ms. Huong warned. Consequently, this shift impacts traditional security models and digital trust foundations.

“Systems once viewed as impenetrable, like the Public Key Infrastructure we trust today, risk breaking tomorrow without timely action,” the NEAC Director stated.

Mr. Hoang Nguyen Van shared a similar view. He serves as Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Transformation Creation (VIDTI). Therefore, nations “cannot wait until quantum computers emerge before switching to post-quantum standards,” he argued.

The primary threat centers on “Harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, he noted. Malicious actors collect and store encrypted data right now. Subsequently, they await the day quantum technology grows powerful enough to decrypt it. Sensitive data fields—including healthcare, finance, banking, and customer records—possess long lifecycles. Thus, this makes them prime targets.

Whether powerful quantum computers arrive by 2029, 2030, or later, migration must start immediately, the VIDTI Deputy Director assessed. Building a transition roadmap takes time. Therefore, this shift cannot happen all at once.

Organizations must first identify which systems run specific algorithms. Afterward, they must prioritize targets for early migration. Many nations now deploy hybrid cryptography. Specifically, this strategy merges existing algorithms with post-quantum variants during the transition phase. Thus, it avoids replacing everything simultaneously.

The workshop on cryptographic standards for trust services heading into the post-quantum era, hosted by NEAC on the morning of July 21. Photo: Trong Dat/VnEpress 

From a management view, Ms. Huong urged trust service providers, enterprises, and data centers to act. Specifically, they must proactively research and prepare Public Key Infrastructure and specialized security equipment. Such steps ensure readiness for post-quantum standards.

She proposed “leapfrogging on standards.” Specifically, adopting international benchmarks early drives synchronized transformation. The NEAC Director also recommended building a compatibility evaluation roadmap. This tests Vietnam’s trust service systems against global frameworks. Consequently, it builds a baseline for future cross-border digital trust recognition.

By the end of June, Vietnam had issued nearly 32 million digital signature certificates. This achievement brings the adoption rate among the adult population to 45.62%. Additionally, billions of electronic transactions occurred. The growth of trust services proves Vietnam’s digital transformation progress, NEAC reported.

Google issued a warning regarding Q-Day in mid-June. Q-Day marks the moment quantum computing could crack current IT encryption forms. Specifically, this milestone could arrive by 2029, landing 6 to 15 years ahead of prior estimates. Governments, businesses, and organizations will have little time left to safeguard data if this estimate proves correct.

“Q-Day occurs when the world gains a quantum computer capable of breaking current cryptographic systems. That represents a major turning point,” Michele Mosca told CNN. He serves as CEO of evolutionQ, a cybersecurity firm. Furthermore, Mosca co-authored the “Quantum Threat” report. The Global Risk Institute in Canada has published this annual report since 2019.

Traditional cryptography relies on standard math problems. A quantum computer shatters these traditional defenses easily. Consequently, sensitive data—such as financial transactions, medical records, emails, and secure accounts—could become exposed. Experts note that hacker groups have stockpiled encrypted files in recent years. Specifically, they intend to decrypt those files once quantum computers gain the necessary capability.