F5 Labs study finds German companies vulnerable to quantum attacks

A study by F5 Labs titled “2026 State of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)” reveals that German companies and critical infrastructure sectors are poorly protected against potential quantum computer attacks. While the global average for websites utilizing post-quantum cryptography is 54%, the rate in Germany is significantly lower at approximately 36%.

Sensitive industries worldwide are also lagging behind the global average. These include the oil and gas industry (34.5%), telecommunications (35.2%), the public sector (35.4%), and utilities (39.4%).

Within the European Union, Germany ranks as the lowest performer at 35.78%. Other major EU nations such as France (39.19%) and Italy (39.74%) also trail behind Denmark (48.79%), the Netherlands (46.44%), and Spain (45.23%). David Warburton, Director of F5 Labs, noted a “dangerous paradox” where critical infrastructure sectors are the least prepared due to factors like data sovereignty requirements, surveillance systems, and lengthy procurement cycles.