How do you start?
That’s the question that a lot of IT leaders ask when it comes to quantum-safe security, and it’s a critical question to answer.
In a recent article in ComputerWeekly.com, our Chief Strategy Officer, Ben Packman outlines some simple, practical guidance that helps organizations today, without having to wait for a massive, dedicated enterprise-transformation project.
It’s a key moment for the conversation. With Google’s 2029 commitment and other hyperscalers following suit, there’s a new urgency for post-quantum readiness, focused all the more by the threat of Harvest-Now-Decrypt-Later attacks, and the problem with long-lifecycle assets. Here are our takeaways from the article:
- Co-ordination across the supply chain
No organization is an island, and Ben points out that pressure cascades through the supply-chain, particularly in highly-exposed and complex operational sectors such as energy, finance and CNI. Co-ordination with suppliers might be a key to early transition aligned with the wider estate. - Leveraging existing budget cycles
PQC requirements should be incorporated into existing cloud migrations, hardware replacements and application-modernization budgets. Focusing on high-priority systems will create a tighter roadmap for transition, and prioritizing planned upgrades over emergency retro-fits will help avoid costly scrambles in the future. - Tactical governance
It’s important not to let perfect become the enemy of good, but rather establish clear priorities through structured discussions across the organization – including procurement and risk management teams. Establishing metrics such as vendor-readiness, dependency concentration, and critical service coverage helps to create momentum, as well as demonstrates clear progress.
It’s clear that post-quantum migration should be considered a mainstream component of managing assets, and should fall naturally into operational planning. This mind-shift, folding PQC into the organizational roadmap is critical to successful transition over the next few years.
The quantum timeline is accelerating. With AI powering research, and technology moving fast, the timeline for quantum-readiness will only shorten and compliance deadlines are likely to come into focus.
As Ben points out: “The organizations that start early, set priorities clearly and coordinate across their supply chain will have more options, face less disruption and build greater confidence across the business.”
You can read the full article in Computer Weekly here.