The development of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) capable of breaking just about any encryption might be "catastrophic" to the US economy and security, a new federal report says.
Conventional computers process data in bits and have a binary value of zero or one, whereas quantum computers can process digits simultaneously using a two-state unit called a qubit.
"We have omitted the original agency comment letters reprinted in the sensitive report due to sensitivity concerns," it said.
"We continue to believe that all of the recommendations made in the sensitive report are warranted," the GAO's analysis explained.
The World Economic Forum touched on worries related to quantum computers in its Top 10 Emerging Technologies Report for 2026.