Cloud CISO Perspectives: New Gemini Notebook can help CISOs and policymakers prepare for PQC

Google Cloud’s October 2026 Cloud CISO Perspectives introduces a new public Gemini Notebook designed to simplify preparation for post-quantum cryptography (PQC). The tool consolidates Google’s research, migration guidance, and engineering insights into an interactive format, allowing users to ask questions, listen to audio overviews, or use flashcards to quickly grasp quantum threats and mitigation strategies.

Quantum computing advances, such as Google’s Willow chip and Quantum Echoes algorithm, have reduced the estimated resources needed to break widely used encryption like ECDLP-256 and RSA-2048. Research suggests breaking these schemes would require approximately 500,000 and 1 million noisy qubits, respectively, signaling that today’s encrypted data is already at risk from future quantum decryption.

The notebook emphasizes the urgency of migrating to PQC, with Google outlining plans to transition its systems by 2029. It urges organizations to adopt crypto-agility, prioritize vulnerable systems, and integrate PQC readiness into existing risk mitigation plans to counter threats like Store Now, Decrypt Later attacks targeting sensitive data.

Google co-founded the Post-Quantum Cryptography Alliance at the Linux Foundation with industry leaders to promote open-source tools such as Open Quantum Safe. The notebook is built on curated sources, including Google’s deployments, industry standards, and breakthroughs like surface code error suppression, and includes disclaimers about AI-generated responses to ensure accuracy.