Warwick computer scientists are helping secure your data against quantum computers

This month, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has issued a standard for high-security code-based cryptography to keep user data safe against quantum computers, co-designed by Warwick computer scientists.

The internet as we know it could be vulnerable to a future threat that does not yet exist, quantum computers powerful enough to crack today's encryption in seconds. This month, an international team including Dr Varun Maram from Warwick's Department of Computer Science, took a major step to prevent that scenario, with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) formally adopting a quantum-resistant encryption standard they co-designed: Classic McEliece.

Classic McEliece is based on an encryption system published by Robert J. McEliece in 1978. It is specifically built to withstand quantum attacks, meaning data encrypted with it now will remain secure even when quantum computers become a reality.

The encryption protecting your emails, banking details, and online shopping currently relies on mathematical tricks that quantum computers could unravel. "Older encryption systems like RSA were essentially built on the assumption that certain math problems are impossibly hard to solve," explains Dr Varun Maram. "But quantum computers will rewrite those rules."

Classic McEliece takes a completely different approach. Instead of mathematical exponentiation, as used in RSA, it relies on error-correcting codes, the same technology used to transmit data reliably across noisy communication channels. It is a method so robust that it has withstood scrutiny for nearly half a century.

Popular VPN service Mullvad VPN has already integrated Classic McEliece to protect users' internet traffic against future quantum threats. The German Federal Office for Information Security has endorsed it as suitable for "long-term protection of confidential information," and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology is considering standardising it too.

The adoption of Classic McEliece marks the first time a code-based cryptographic standard has been formally endorsed by ISO, positioning Warwick at the forefront of preparing global digital infrastructure for the quantum age,

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact:

Matt Higgs, PhD | Media & Communications Officer (Warwick Press Office)

Email: Matt.Higgs@warwick.ac.uk | Phone: +44(0)7880 175403

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25 June 2026