Post-quantum cryptography is an area of mathematical and cryptographical research that focuses on developing new cryptographic algorithms that can withstand attacks by future quantum computers. The security of RSA depends on the practical difficulty of factoring numbers that are the product of large prime numbers; because quantum computing promises a 10^8-fold increase in computing speed, RSA will not remain indefinitely secure. It’s widely disputed as to how long it will be before quantum computers capable of breaking RSA will be available. Expert predictions may range from years to decades, but the consensus is that it is inevitable. Current research in areas such as lattice-based algorithms shows promise in developing public key algorithms that can be considered secure even against attacks by quantum computers. Numerous theoretical algorithms already exist that had previously not been practical for encryption because of the computing power required for encryption/decryption. Fortunately, it’s not just bad actors who now have more computing power, so algorithms that were previously impractical will likely be part of new standards.