Aim for crypto-agility, prepare for the long haul

While organizations have long experimented with various facets of digital transformation, the journey toward crypto-agility is one of the most significant technological transitions of our time. Success in the emerging quantum era will require technical expertise, strategic foresight, careful planning, and an unwavering commitment to security.

The challenges

Perhaps the most pressing challenge in the quest towards cryptographic agility is encryption key sprawl, where visibility into organizations’ encryption key ecosystem becomes cloudy. Many companies struggle to maintain accurate inventories of created keys and associated services, leading to possible security vulnerabilities and compliance issues.

This challenge doesn’t end with key discovery: Once organizations complete the laborious process of inventorying their encryption keys, they face the equally daunting task of updating each key to align with NIST’s evolving PQC standards. Furthermore, this is not a one-time effort; it’s an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and updates as standards evolve and new quantum-resistant algorithms emerge.

Time management is another significant challenge. Organizations must carefully balance the need for quantum-resistant security measures with the practical constraints of implementing widespread cryptographic changes. Depending on the organization’s size and complexity, discovering, cataloging, and updating encryption keys across an enterprise can span months or even years.

Navigating these challenges calls for a structured approach

The first crucial step is creating comprehensive high-value asset lists prioritizing critical crypto key inventory needs. This process involves three key components:

1. Evaluating data lifespan to understand how long sensitive information needs to remain secure.
2. Assessing current crypto-agility capabilities and identifying gaps.
3. Mapping system interdependencies to understand how cryptographic changes might impact various services and applications.

Beyond initial assessment and inventory, organizations must focus on building a robust layer of interoperability, which is essential for future-proofing systems against further cryptographic advancements and ensuring that updates can be implemented with minimal disruption to existing services.

It’s a long journey, so pace yourself

The transition to quantum-resistant cryptography isn’t an overnight transformation but a strategic journey that requires careful planning and execution. Businesses should expect the transition process to span several years, with multiple implementation and testing phases. While organizations will vary based on their complexity, the timeline should include:

• An initial assessment and inventory phase
• Architecture planning and design
• Phased implementation across different systems
• Testing and validation (ongoing)
• Continuous monitoring and updates as standards evolve

Organizations that consider each aspect give themselves the best chance of post-quantum success.

An opportunity for tech leaders and policymakers

With quantum computing and cybersecurity advancing simultaneously, technology leaders must prioritize crypto-agility initiatives in their 2025 strategic planning. Meanwhile, policymakers have an opportunity to establish industry-wide standards and regulatory requirements to ensure a consistent approach across organizations and sectors.

The threat to current cryptographic systems isn’t just theoretical—it’s an approaching reality that demands immediate attention. Organizations that begin their crypto-agility journey now will be better positioned to protect their assets and maintain competitive advantage in the post-quantum era. The time to act is now, not when quantum computers break current encryption methods; by then, it will be too late.

It’s a daunting challenge, to be sure, but it’s one that organizations worldwide must meet.