Abstract
The migration to quantum-safe systems is often stalled by a desire for perfect visibility. Antti Ropponen joins host Jo Lintzen to discuss why waiting for a 100% accurate inventory often leads to inaction. Drawing on years of experience in cloud modernization, Antti highlights the similarities between “lifting and shifting” workloads and simply swapping cryptographic algorithms.
The conversation covers the necessity of moving beyond technical silos. Antti shares insights from an IBM study showing that the majority of quantum-safe programs now live outside the CISO office, often residing within CTO or digital transformation departments. He provides a framework for prioritizing migration based on risk, regulation, and business value, while offering practical advice on funding these multi-year programs by integrating them into existing IT refresh cycles.
What You’ll Learn
- Why the 2019 South European bank project served as a lightbulb moment for quantum risk
- How to avoid the trap of “inventory paralysis” during discovery phases
- The dangers of treating quantum migration as a simple “flick of a switch” exercise
- Why post-quantum cryptography programs are moving from the CISO to the CTO office
- Methods for using regulation as a prioritization factor rather than just a checkbox
- Strategies for quantifying risk reduction to build a compelling financial business case
- Nuances in migration priorities between the financial and pharmaceutical sectors
- How to treat quantum-safe transitions as “business as usual” engineering
About Antti Ropponen
Antti Ropponen serves as the Global Quantum Safe Transformation Leader at IBM Consulting. He drives the execution and scaling of quantum-safe programs across EMEA, working directly with CISOs and CTOs to move organizations from theoretical risk toward real-world migration. With a background in cloud migration and security modernization, Antti focuses on the organizational and architectural complexities of large-scale cryptographic transitions.