Strategic Ethics in an Age of Existential Technology: Post-Quantum Security, Geopolitics, and the Red Lines We Cannot Cross

Maria Costeira () and Sónia M. A. Morgado ()
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Maria Costeira: Chair of the Steering Committee on AI of the European Digital SME Alliance
Sónia M. A. Morgado: Research Center (ICPOL)—Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security

Chapter Chapter 2 in New Perspectives in Economics and Management, Vol 1, 2026, pp 19-31 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Quantum computing represents a radical technological leap, capable of dismantling the cryptographic foundations that secure digital communications, global finance, and critical infrastructure. By 2030, quantum computers may be able to break RSA-2048 encryption, which underpins most financial transactions. This paper introduces the concept of cryptographic justice, framing post-quantum cryptography as both a technical necessity and a moral responsibility to prevent quantum-enabled inequalities and digital colonialism. We examine systemic risks, including harvest-now, decrypt-later attacks, vulnerabilities in financial networks, and the concentration of quantum capabilities among a few state and corporate actors. Using geopolitical scenario modelling, we evaluate fragmented quantum transitions and propose coordinated resilience strategies. A Quantum Ethics Impact Assessment (QEIA) and a Quantum Geneva Convention are advanced to establish global norms, prohibit harmful practices, and ensure equitable access to post-quantum protections.

Keywords: Quantum computing; Quantum ethics; Cryptographic justice; Digital sovereignty; Global governance; Technological disruption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-032-29260-5_2

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-29260-5_2

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