Mosca inequality worked examples by industry
Extended analysis with industry context, action checklists, and Qtangl product tie-ins.
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Risk math
Mosca inequality
If the time your data must stay confidential (X) plus the time to migrate (Y) exceeds the time until quantum breaks crypto (Z), you have HNDL exposure today.
The formula
X = data shelf-life in years. Y = migration runway in years. Z = years until cryptographically relevant quantum computers. When X + Y > Z, encrypted data captured today may be readable before you finish migrating.
Why boards care
Mosca turns abstract quantum risk into a inequality your board and regulators understand — especially in banking and healthcare where data lives for decades.
Video explainer
References & further reading
Authoritative primary sources cited in this article. Summaries are our own — follow links for full context.
Last verified 2026-06-21
- Quantum Threat Timeline Report (Mosca inequality)Global Risk Institute · 2023Dr. Michele Mosca's X + Y > Z framework for harvest-now-decrypt-later exposure planning.
- What Is Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL)?PostQuantum.com · 2024Mosca theorem, HNDL urgency, and why migration must start before Q-Day headlines.
- Q-Day: Accelerated Timeline Across Wider Attack SurfaceQuantum Computing Report · 2026-04Research summary on ECC-256 potentially breaking before RSA-2048 on accelerated timelines.
Deep dive
Related
Harvest now, decrypt later
How ciphertext is copied today, who is exposed, and what to do this quarter — with Mosca calculator and collection guide.
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