Quantum computers are on the verge of hacking most cybersecurity algorithms. Can we stop them?

Quantum computers harness quantum mechanical effects to process and store data in a form beyond digital bits.

These "quantum bits" — or qubits — could open up massive computing power.

But this massive power also may give hackers the upper hand.

Cryptographers need to come up with ways to protect data from powerful quantum computers.

Experts believe lattice problems will be hard for a quantum computer to crack because they don't rely on factoring massive numbers.

The fourth problem belongs to a group called hash functions.

Hash functions work by taking the virtual key for unlocking a specific point on a data table, scrambling that key and compressing it into a shorter code.

There's also the threat of "harvest-now, decrypt-later" attacks.

Malicious actors can scoop up encrypted data and save it until they have access to a quantum computer that's capable of cracking the encryption.

The arms race between hackers and security professionals will continue to evolve well into the future.