





A Quantum Retreat: Cuts Threaten To Undermine Our Cybersecurity


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Quantum Threats on the Horizon: Why Recent Budget Cuts Could Undermine U.S. Cybersecurity
By [Your Name], Research Journalist
When the U.S. Treasury announced a 4‑percent reduction in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) budget for FY 2025, the headlines were dominated by the obvious: “DoD faces shortfalls.” A lesser‑known, but equally consequential, implication was highlighted in a recent Forbes Technology Council piece titled “A Quantum Retreat: Cuts threaten to Undermine Our Cybersecurity.” The article, published on 2 September 2025, argues that even modest funding cuts to quantum research could tip the scales in favor of adversaries, jeopardizing the integrity of modern encryption systems that underpin everything from online banking to national defense.
1. The Quantum Edge: A Two‑Fold Threat
Quantum computers, once the stuff of science‑fiction, are rapidly moving from theory to prototype. The crux of the threat, the Forbes article emphasizes, is the ability of a sufficiently powerful quantum computer to run Shor’s algorithm and break widely deployed asymmetric encryption schemes—RSA, elliptic‑curve cryptography (ECC), and the Diffie‑Hellman key exchange—in a matter of seconds. While classical computers would take millennia to brute‑force the same keys, a quantum machine with 4,000 logical qubits could collapse these systems with relative ease.
Beyond pure encryption, the article cites “quantum‑enabled adversaries” who could decrypt intercepted communications, forge secure certificates, or even tamper with firmware updates—turning the very foundations of trust into vulnerabilities. The risk is not theoretical: Google, IBM, and several Chinese labs have announced working prototypes that already demonstrate quantum supremacy for specific tasks, and the race to build a fault‑tolerant, large‑scale quantum computer has intensified.
2. Funding in the Crosshairs
The Forbes piece notes that the federal quantum research budget is already thin. According to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the U.S. federal quantum research budget for FY 2024 was $1.2 billion. The proposed cut for FY 2025—$45 million, roughly a 4 percent dip—might appear minor, but the article argues it is a significant blow to the nation’s quantum capability in the near term.
The funding cuts target several critical programs:
Program | Current Funding | Proposed Cut | Impact |
---|---|---|---|
DARPA’s Quantum Information Processing Initiative | $180 M | –$8 M | Slower prototyping of error‑correction codes |
National Quantum Initiative (NQI) – Academic Partnerships | $300 M | –$12 M | Reduced grant availability for universities |
Quantum Cybersecurity Research Center (QCRC) – Defense | $120 M | –$5 M | Limited development of post‑quantum cryptographic standards |
The article points out that the cut will ripple through the broader ecosystem. Start‑ups that rely on federal grants to develop quantum‑resistant algorithms may be forced to pivot to less ambitious projects. Researchers may delay or abandon critical experiments, delaying the U.S.’s ability to produce standardized post‑quantum crypto algorithms in time for the 2030 rollout deadline set by NIST.
3. The Human Element: Talent and Retention
While funding is one side of the equation, the article underscores that the U.S. quantum race hinges on talent. “Quantum‑savvy engineers, physicists, and computer scientists are in short supply,” writes the Forbes author, citing a 2023 OSTP report that lists over 12,000 professionals in the U.S. working on quantum computing—just 4% of the global quantum workforce. The funding cuts could push U.S. talent to better‑paid private‑sector roles overseas or to other countries offering more robust public support, such as China and the EU.
Moreover, the article references a recent survey by the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) that found 73% of quantum researchers in the U.S. are considering early retirement or moving abroad due to limited funding and uncertainty in long‑term research directions. This brain drain would not only diminish the domestic quantum ecosystem but would also reduce the U.S.’s ability to lead standards and governance efforts in the quantum domain.
4. Policy Recommendations
The Forbes article concludes with a set of concrete policy measures that the U.S. could adopt to mitigate the quantum threat while still addressing fiscal constraints:
Targeted Investment in Post‑Quantum Cryptography (PQC): Direct $200 million annually to NIST’s PQC standardization program and to academia‑industry consortia, ensuring that the U.S. remains a front‑runner in PQC research.
Incentivize Private‑Sector Collaboration: Offer tax credits for companies that partner with federal labs on quantum‑resilient solutions, effectively off‑loading some research costs while maintaining oversight.
Maintain a “Quantum Readiness” Reserve: Create a small, agile fund—$30 million annually—to accelerate prototyping of error‑correction codes and to purchase high‑quality qubit hardware from domestic manufacturers.
Accelerate Workforce Development: Expand the Quantum Initiative Fellowship Program to double enrollment, including scholarships for underrepresented minorities and students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
International Cooperative Agreements: Negotiate data‑sharing and joint‑research agreements with allies (the EU, Canada, Australia) to offset the risk of falling behind in the quantum race, while preserving U.S. leadership through joint standards bodies.
5. A Broader Context: Cybersecurity in the Quantum Age
Beyond the immediate risk of quantum decryption, the Forbes article contextualizes the cuts within a broader cybersecurity strategy. A 2024 report by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) highlighted that 70% of critical infrastructure sectors lack a formal quantum‑resilience plan. The proposed cuts could delay the rollout of such plans, leaving hospitals, power grids, and transportation networks exposed.
Additionally, the article references the 2025 “Quantum Readiness Roadmap” developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The roadmap calls for the U.S. to secure 80% of its critical infrastructure with quantum‑resilient encryption by 2035. The funding cuts, according to the article, could push that deadline by a decade, giving adversaries time to exploit the gap.
6. Conclusion
“A Quantum Retreat: Cuts threaten to Undermine Our Cybersecurity” is more than a warning; it is a clarion call for policymakers to reassess the long‑term costs of short‑term savings. Quantum computing does not sit idle—it is poised to undermine the cryptographic foundations of modern society. Funding reductions, even if numerically modest, could slow U.S. progress on both quantum‑resistant technologies and the critical infrastructure that depends on them. As the Forbes article urges, a balanced approach—coupling strategic investments with incentives for the private sector and a focus on workforce development—could preserve the U.S.’s technological edge while safeguarding national security.
In a world where a single powerful quantum computer could decrypt the encrypted communications of a nation‑state, the stakes could not be higher. The question before lawmakers and stakeholders is clear: Will we retreat in the face of budgetary pressure, or will we rise to meet the quantum challenge head‑on? The answer will shape the security landscape for decades to come.
Read the Full Forbes Article at:
[ https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/09/02/a-quantum-retreat-cuts-threaten-to-undermine-our-cybersecurity/ ]