"The advent of practical quantum computing will break all commonly used public key cryptographic algorithms. In response, NIST is researching cryptographic algorithms for public key-based key agreement and digital signatures that are not susceptible to cryptanalysis by quantum algorithms." - NIST. http://www.nist.gov/itl/csd/ct/post-quantum-crypto-workshop-2015.cfm Workshop April 2-3, 2015 at NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland (near DC). my questions - What deciphering and decryption capabilities does the US government already have? How long until encryption we use today becomes obsolete? Is it already obsolete? Will there be a situation where the US government and large corporations have quantum computers capable of deciphering today's encryption standards, but average consumers would not have access to quantum encryption? What would the impact be on mass surveillance and privacy concerns?