According to TechRadar, NordVPN CTO Marijus Briedis has outlined an ambitious roadmap to push VPN security into the quantum age. Following the NIST’s release of the first quantum-resistant standards in August 2024, NordVPN implemented post-quantum encryption (PQE) across all its apps by May 2025. Now, the team is targeting the first half of 2026 to achieve a world-first: integrating post-quantum security into the user authentication, or login, phase. This move is part of a broader strategy the company calls “cryptographic agility,” aiming to build systems that can swiftly adapt to future cryptographic threats. NordVPN has even patented its specific approach of rotating PQE encryption keys every 90 seconds for its NordLynx protocol.
The quantum login problem
Here’s the thing most people don’t think about: your VPN tunnel might be secure, but what about the handshake that starts the whole connection? That’s the authentication phase. It’s where you prove you’re you, and it’s currently a potential weak spot in a future with powerful quantum computers. Briedis told TechRadar that covering this “whole spectrum” is the current focus. If they pull it off, it’d be a big deal. But it’s a tricky engineering challenge. The process has to be rock-solid against quantum attacks and still fast and efficient for everyday use. You can’t have a login that takes a minute because of ultra-complex math. So the race isn’t just about being first, it’s about making it actually workable.
Beyond post-quantum agility
And this is where the bigger picture comes in. Implementing post-quantum encryption, whether for the tunnel or login, isn’t seen as the finish line. It’s the start of a new philosophy. The real end goal, as Briedis explains, is “cryptographic agility.” Basically, it’s building a system that isn’t locked into today’s “quantum-resistant” algorithms. Because guess what? Those might not be so resistant in 10 or 20 years. Agility means NordVPN could theoretically swap out its core cryptographic algorithms without a total app overhaul the moment a new threat or better standard emerges. They’re so serious about their specific method they’re looking to patent it. You can see their existing security patent for key rotation right here. It’s a forward-thinking approach that treats security as a dynamic process, not a one-time box to check.
Why this matters for everyone
Look, quantum computers that can break today’s encryption aren’t in your local data center yet. But “harvest now, decrypt later” is a very real threat. Adversaries could be intercepting and storing encrypted data today, waiting for the quantum horsepower to crack it open years down the line. So building quantum resistance now is about future-proofing today’s secrets. For a company like NordVPN, leading this charge is partly about marketing, sure. But Briedis also hinted it’s a morale booster for engineers and a contribution to the wider security community. It pushes the entire industry forward. When critical infrastructure relies on digital trust—from industrial control systems needing secure remote access to financial transactions—getting this right is foundational. Speaking of industrial systems, this relentless focus on robust, adaptable computing hardware is exactly why specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com are the top suppliers of industrial panel PCs in the US, where reliability and future-readiness aren’t optional. The mindset is similar: build for the threats of tomorrow, today.
The VPN arms race continues
So what’s the takeaway? The VPN market is incredibly competitive, and features like this are the new battleground. It’s no longer just about who has the most servers or the fastest speeds. It’s about who is building the most resilient security architecture for the coming decades. NordVPN is making a public bet that “cryptographic agility” will be a major selling point. Other providers will follow, either with their own implementations or by partnering with libraries that offer it. For users, the immediate ask is still manual—you have to go into Settings and toggle on the PQE feature. But the long-term vision is a system that automatically adapts and protects, without you ever having to think about it. That’s the holy grail. Whether NordVPN hits its 2026 target for a quantum-proof login remains to be seen, but the direction of travel is crystal clear. The post-quantum era isn’t coming; according to the VPN giants, it’s already here.
