FIU Researchers Develop Quantum-Safe Encryption to Protect Against Future Hacks

New method combines quantum encryption and secure internet transmission to guard against traditional and quantum computer attacks.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Researchers at Florida International University (FIU) have developed a quantum-safe encryption system designed to protect digital content from the next generation of cyberattacks. The breakthrough addresses concerns that powerful quantum computers could eventually crack today's encryption standards, exposing financial systems, government communications, health data, and digital media to large-scale hacking and fraud. The FIU method combines quantum encryption with secure internet transmission to create a 'digital lockbox' that scrambles data using cryptographic keys only authorized users can decode.

Why it matters

As artificial intelligence fuels a surge in convincing deepfakes and quantum computing advances toward real-world use, this new encryption system aims to safeguard against sophisticated AI-generated threats and large-scale data breaches that could result from quantum-enabled attacks. Cybersecurity agencies worldwide are urging organizations to modernize their cryptographic systems in anticipation of quantum-based threats.

The details

In testing, the FIU method performed 10-15% better than comparable advanced encryption techniques. Researchers found their approach significantly reduced exploitable data patterns, making encrypted videos substantially harder to crack. The team is now scaling the technology to encrypt full-length video files and real-time streams, including video conferencing and surveillance systems.

  • The research was funded by the U.S. Army Research Office and published in IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics in 2026.
  • In 2025, the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre advised large institutions to modernize their cryptographic systems by 2035 in anticipation of quantum-enabled threats.

The players

S.S. Iyengar

Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences Professor and director of the Digital Forensic Center of Excellence at FIU, who led the research.

Yashas Hariprasad

An assistant professor of computer science at California State University, East Bay who was a doctoral candidate on the FIU team at the time of the research.

Naveen Kumar Chaudhary

A researcher from India's National Forensic Sciences University who collaborated on the project.

QNU Labs

A cybersecurity company specializing in quantum technologies that is collaborating with FIU to advance the platform toward commercial application.

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What they’re saying

“Think of a regular computer hack as someone trying to pick a traditional door lock – it could take days, even years, to try every combination. But a quantum computer hack is like having a key that could try multiple combinations simultaneously. This is what makes quantum threats so powerful.”

— S.S. Iyengar, Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences Professor and director of the Digital Forensic Center of Excellence at FIU (PRNewswire)

What’s next

Through collaboration with QNU Labs, the researchers are advancing the platform toward commercial application. The team is also scaling the technology to encrypt full-length video files and real-time streams, including video conferencing and surveillance systems.

The takeaway

This new quantum-safe encryption system developed by FIU researchers represents a proactive step in safeguarding digital content against the growing threat of quantum-enabled cyberattacks, which could amplify risks ranging from sophisticated deepfakes to large-scale data breaches and identity theft as quantum computing advances.