Depending on the type of virtual private network (VPN) you use—and you should be using one—you may have seen a curiously new option appear if you’ve spent time digging through your VPN’s settings menus.Post-quantum encryption has a slick name, dredging up daydreams of Blade Runner and Tron and all sorts of retro-sci-fi imagery, but what is it? Does it matter? Shouldn’t you enable it anyway? After all, ticking more boxes on your privacy apps is always a good thing, right?Not quite. Here’s the breakdown.(opens in a new window)NordVPNNordVPN Plus(opens in a new window)Available at NordVPNBuy Now(opens in a new window)Powerful but prematureI won’t rehash what a VPN does and why you should use one. That’s all covered here in my guide to the best VPNs. If you aren’t currently using a VPN, then this story on post-quantum encryption won’t apply to you, so hop over to that guide, let it convince you to subscribe to a reputable one (or even download a reputable free one), and then re-read this story when you’re a VPN user.Quantum computers are the next significant evolutionary leap in the basic architecture of how computers will work. It’s a fundamental shift that will make computers far faster, smarter, and more powerful.And because digital data thieves, snoops, and hackers like to use the latest and greatest technologies, just like the rest of us, they’ll undoubtedly begin to use quantum computers when they become broadly available.Whereas quantum computers are widely expected to break today’s ordinary security and privacy protections, post-quantum encryption uses more complex cryptographic algorithms that can withstand their greater computational power. Enabling it does slow down your connection more than not enabling it, though.Post-quantum encryption, as a new offering to the public, has only begun to roll out on a relatively limited number of VPNs. NordVPN and Mullvad VPN are two such highly rated VPNs that I’ve used, tested, and recommend that let you toggle post-quantum encryption. So, should you use it? I think it’s premature at this point. Right now, only governments and very well-funded research laboratories have quantum computers, so you’re not likely to find yourself in the crosshairs of one attempting to hack you or snoop on your internet traffic.When quantum computers become widespread and accessible enough for regular people to worry about, you’ll start hearing it in the news. But it’s good to see that some VPN companies aren’t waiting for that day and are instead getting an early jump on it, if only to work out the kinks.(opens in a new window)Mullvad VPN(opens in a new window)Available at Mullvad VPNBuy Now(opens in a new window)The post What Is Post-Quantum Encryption and Do You Need It? appeared first on VICE.