{"id":228682,"date":"2026-04-21T05:10:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=228682"},"modified":"2026-04-20T08:28:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:28:44","slug":"hackers-collecting-data-decrypt-later-how-to-stay-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/security-news\/hackers-collecting-data-decrypt-later-how-to-stay-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Hackers Are Collecting Data They Can\u2019t Read Yet. And How to Stay Safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Co-Authored by Luiz Parente<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your data might be safe today. But that\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0mean\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0safe forever.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A growing number of sophisticated actors are collecting encrypted data now, with the goal of decrypting it later, when more powerful technology becomes available.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This strategy is known as\u00a0<\/span>Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL)<\/span><\/b>.\u00a0And\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not a future problem.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0already happening, according to\u00a0<\/span>research from our McAfee VPN team.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For everyday people, that means private messages, financial records, and sensitive documents could be exposed years from now if protections\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0evolve today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0why security teams, including McAfee\u2019s VPN engineers, are already working on ways to strengthen encryption for both today and what comes next.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What \u201cHarvest Now, Decrypt Later\u201d\u00a0Means<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

At its core, HNDL is simple: Attackers collect encrypted data now, store it, and wait until they have the tools to unlock it later.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though today\u2019s encryption is incredibly strong, the strategy\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0rely on breaking it today. It relies on patience.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0Simple\u00a0Way\u00a0to\u00a0Think\u00a0About\u00a0It<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

You put valuable belongings and documents in a safe at home that\u2019s locked and secured. This\u00a0works at preventing crimes of opportunity. But\u00a0let\u2019s\u00a0say\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a thief who steals the entire safe, knowing they have tools they can use later to access\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0inside. They wait, and\u00a0once the tools are available, they break into your safe and access everything inside.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0one way to think of\u00a0HNDL.\u00a0The safe is the encryption. The quantum computing is the tool they can use later.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But in real life,\u00a0you\u2019d\u00a0probably notice\u00a0if your\u00a0safe is gone. In\u00a0the case of HNDL, if\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0not\u00a0monitoring\u00a0your\u00a0data,\u00a0you may not even notice encrypted information has been stolen\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>be decrypted.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Key\u00a0Terms\u00a0Explained<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Term<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nWhat it means<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Encryption<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nScrambling data so others\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0read it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Quantum computing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nA new type of computing that can break some encryption<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HNDL<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nA strategy to collect encrypted data now and decrypt it later<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Why\u00a0This\u00a0Matters\u00a0Right\u00a0Now<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

This\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0about whether your data is valuable today.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0about whether it might be valuable later.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Data with a long shelf life is especially at risk, including:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n