While some observers express worry that a state actor, such as China, could beat U.S. companies in the quantum race and break down American encryption, others advise that it will be some time before these emerging tools are of any practical use.

Quantum computing taps into the strange workings of quantum mechanics. Where a “bit” in a normal computer can be in only one of two states—“off or on, zero or one,” notes Vox—a quantum bit, or qubit, can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This “spooky” quality should allow for rapid-fire calculations that before would have been effectively impossible.

In October, Google researchers announced that they had used a quantum computer to crunch in 200 seconds what, they claimed, would have taken a normal computer 10,000 years. As The New York Times reports, this achievement would be the first instance of what academics have dubbed “quantum supremacy”: the moment when quantum computers begin to be able to handle problems that would be impractical for even the fastest conventional supercomputers.

Google’s rivals in quantum computing include IBM, Intel and Microsoft, and indeed, IBM researchers were quick to pour cold water on Google’s claim. IBM’s team argued that a conventional computer could actually have performed this particular feat in two and a half days, not 10,000 years, and so the point of quantum supremacy has not yet been reached. “Technically, they are right,” The Economist opines of IBM's assertion. “Practically, it makes little difference.”

An op-ed in The Wall Street Journal warns that Google’s coup represents “a crucial moment for America’s national security. That’s because what quantum computers “will do best” is to decrypt existing encryption systems. Many cybersecurity professionals are already aware of the quantum risks. In a recent survey of information technology leaders from 400 organizations conducted by ReRez Research on behalf of encryption firm DigiCert, 71% of respondents said they see quantum computing becoming at least a “somewhat” large threat in the future.

Public and private efforts are already afoot to develop “post-quantum” cryptography, which could keep information encrypted after the rise of quantum devices, CNET reports.

Google’s CEO memorably compared what his team had done to the Wright Brothers’ first manned flight. And according to the Times, that’s “probably” fair, at least over the longer term. The advent of this technology will have a huge impact on banks, retailers and any other organization that encrypts sensitive data to keep it safe. But, cybersecurity pros may be able to take a while to catch their breaths. Quantum computers that can break today’s encryption methods are not around the corner just yet, these various reports contend. A Forbes headline reads: “Quantum Computing Poses an Existential Security Threat, But Not Today.”