Organizations are shifting from awareness to execution as they prepare for post-quantum cryptography to protect sensitive data against future quantum computing threats and harvest-now-decrypt-later cyberattacks.

Key Points

• Google and Microsoft have identified 2029 as a critical milestone for the transition to quantum-safe cryptographic standards.
• Gartner research indicates that fewer than 25% of organizations have made measurable progress toward quantum readiness, with only 8% maintaining a usable cryptographic inventory.
• Approximately 84% of organizations fear their encrypted data is currently vulnerable to "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks, particularly financial records and private keys.
• Experts recommend that CISOs prioritize discovery to map their existing cryptographic estate before deploying quantum-resistant algorithms across cloud and enterprise infrastructure.
• Building crypto-agility and automating certificate management are essential steps for adapting to evolving security standards over the coming years.

Why it Matters

The transition to quantum-safe security is now a critical business priority rather than a distant technical project due to the long-term risk of data decryption. Organizations that fail to audit their cryptographic assets today risk leaving high-value information exposed to future threats that could compromise their entire digital infrastructure.