Kvantteknikens hot mot dagens kryptering : En kvalitativ studie kring svenska kommuners förhållningssätt till kvantdatorhotet mot dagens kryptering

Sammanfattning

This report investigates how Swedish municipalities perceive and respond to the threat quantum technology poses to current encryption systems. As municipalities are responsible for essential public services, the security of their information systems is of great importance. The threat arises from the possibility that encrypted data may be intercepted and stored today, with the intention of decrypting it in the future using quantum computers. Once quantum computing becomes available, it is expected to compromise encryption algorithms currently considered secure within a short time frame. Consequently, existing encryption methods will need to be gradually replaced with secure post-quantum algorithms. The results indicate that while municipalities recognize the severity of the threat, they currently lack concrete protective measures. Several municipalities engage in environmental scanning to monitor developments in quantum technology but generally perceive the threat as not yet imminent, which has delayed active countermeasures. Nevertheless, most municipalities acknowledge that the threat could become highly serious and believe that a transition to post-quantum encryption will eventually be necessary. Foreign state actors are perceived as the primary threat, and differences in municipal resources affect preparedness levels. The study highlights a strong and explicit need for national guidelines and government support to effectively meet future demands for post-quantum encryption.