Data you consider safe today may already be compromised; you just won’t know for another decade. That’s the uncomfortable truth few leaders want to acknowledge. The race toward quantum advantage is accelerating, and while timelines remain uncertain, the threat to today’s cryptography is very real, very structural, and already underway.
For years, public key cryptography has quietly underpinned global digital trust, from banking transactions and identity systems to billions of secure connections every day. Its strength relies on the computational difficulty of certain mathematical problems. But quantum computing flips that equation. Once sufficiently powerful systems emerge, the cryptographic foundation of the modern internet becomes instantly obsolete. key cryptography has quietly underpinned global digital trust
This isn’t a future security issue. It’s a now problem.
The Threat Is Already Here
There is growing evidence that threat actors are engaging in “harvest now, decrypt later” campaigns, stealing encrypted data today with the expectation they’ll decrypt it once quantum capabilities arrive.
And that should raise alarms. The most valuable data for cybercriminals – financial records, intellectual property, medical histories, operational intelligence, etc. – is exactly the kind of information that requires long-term confidentiality. In other words, quantum computers don’t need to exist to break your encryption; your adversaries only need patience.
That’s the essence of the quantum risk.
Post-Quantum Cryptography Moves from Theory to Reality Quantum Cryptography Moves
The good news: momentum is building. In 2024, NIST released its first standardised post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms – a milestone that begins moving PQC from academic concept to practical implementation. The mindset of crypto‑agility is also shaped by hard learned lessons, after several promising algorithms ultimately failed to deliver adequate protection. quantum cryptographic algorithms
The bad news: implementing new cryptographic standards across real world, highly entangled IT environments is slow and complex, often requiring five to ten years. Organisations that wait for quantum systems to arrive will be far too late.
Where Leaders Must Start
Preparing for PQC isn’t as simple as swapping one algorithm for another. It requires understanding how deeply cryptography permeates your digital ecosystem, across applications, data storage, networking, identity, and external integrations.
And here’s the part many CIOs underestimate: cryptography isn’t a background control; it’s a bedrock dependency that defines your resilience.
Not all data needs the same handling. A risk-based prioritisation model helps determine where PQC must be implemented first, especially for data with long-term sensitivity and retention. Migration will need to occur in phases, starting with your most critical systems. based prioritization model helps determine where PQC must be implemented first, especially for data with long term sensitivity
Equally important is developing crypto-agility, the ability to pivot algorithms as standards mature and threats evolve. The quantum timeline is opaque; your cryptographic strategy can’t be.
This Work Cannot Happen in Isolation
Your suppliers, partners, service providers, and integrations also rely on cryptography. Any weak link can undermine an entire chain of trust. PQC adoption requires ecosystem alignment, not siloed technical updates.
The Window for Preparedness Is Shrinking
Organisations that will thrive in the post-quantum future will be the ones that start transitioning now, with urgency and clarity. Those who wait will face emergency-mode cryptographic overhauls, heightened risk exposure, and potential long-term data compromise. quantum future will be the ones that start transitioning now, with urgency and clarity. Those who wait will face emergency mode cryptographic overhauls, heightened risk exposure, and potential long term data compromise.
Quantum change is coming – you don’t get to choose when, only how prepared you’ll be. I always recommend starting small: identify where cryptography sits in your environment, prioritise the data that must remain confidential the longest, and apply post-quantum approaches in low-risk areas to build confidence. From there, expand steadily, strengthening crypto-agility and treating cryptographic readiness as a business imperative rather than a one-time upgrade. The organisations that take these early, incremental steps now will be the ones standing on solid, resilient ground when the quantum era arrives.
