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Introduction: The Silent Countdown to a Security Revolution
For decades, modern encryption has been the invisible shield protecting everything from online banking and healthcare records to government secrets and corporate intellectual property. Most organizations assume that this protection will remain effective for years to come. However, a technological revolution is rapidly approaching, one that could fundamentally change cybersecurity forever.
Quantum computing, once considered a distant scientific dream, is now advancing at a pace that has alarmed security experts worldwide. While many business leaders still believe practical quantum threats are years away, cybersecurity professionals are increasingly warning that the preparation phase cannot wait. The challenge is no longer predicting when quantum computers will become powerful enough to break today’s encryption standards. The real challenge is ensuring organizations are prepared before that moment arrives.
At Infosecurity Europe 2026, Forescout Vice President of Security Intelligence Rik Ferguson delivered a stark warning: the transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) remains dangerously slow, despite mounting evidence that quantum-related risks are accelerating.
Security Experts Warn That Preparation Is Lagging Behind Reality
Speaking at the major cybersecurity conference, Ferguson highlighted a troubling statistic. Only 8% of SSH servers globally currently support Post-Quantum Cryptography capabilities. Even more concerning, that figure has increased by just two percentage points over the past year.
Such minimal progress suggests that many organizations continue to underestimate the scale and urgency of the migration effort ahead.
According to Ferguson, the conversation should no longer revolve around predicting “Q-Day,” the moment when quantum computers become capable of breaking conventional encryption. Instead, organizations should focus on a much more practical question: will they be prepared when that day arrives?
The concern is not theoretical anymore. Quantum computing research continues to advance, major technology companies are investing billions into development, and governments around the world are treating quantum readiness as a national security priority.
Businesses Expect Quantum Disruption But Remain Slow to Act
Recent research conducted by EY revealed a striking contradiction within the business community.
While 87% of executives expect quantum computing to significantly disrupt their industries by 2030, only 35% have made quantum readiness a strategic priority during the next five years.
Even more surprising, nearly 60% of leaders believe quantum technology will not mature sufficiently until after 2030.
This gap between awareness and action creates a dangerous security blind spot.
History repeatedly shows that organizations often underestimate disruptive technologies until they become unavoidable. The internet, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and ransomware all followed similar patterns. Early warnings were frequently dismissed until adoption accelerated and businesses found themselves scrambling to catch up.
Quantum computing appears to be following the same trajectory.
The Harvest-Now, Decrypt-Later Threat Has Already Begun
One of the most concerning aspects of the quantum threat landscape is that attackers do not need quantum computers today to create future risks.
Security agencies have warned for years about Harvest-Now, Decrypt-Later (HNDL) operations.
The strategy is simple but highly effective. Adversaries intercept and store encrypted communications today, knowing that future quantum computers may eventually decrypt the data.
Sensitive information stolen now could remain valuable years from now.
Government intelligence reports have discussed this possibility for several years. Ferguson pointed to historical evidence, including revelations from the Snowden leaks, suggesting that intelligence agencies have long collected enormous volumes of encrypted data for future exploitation.
Highly classified surveillance programs such as Muscular and Tempora demonstrated the scale at which governments can gather global communications data.
According to cybersecurity experts, similar activities could potentially be occurring among multiple nation-state actors seeking long-term intelligence advantages.
Why Long-Term Data Is Most Vulnerable
Not every piece of information faces equal risk from quantum attacks.
Short-lived data such as temporary authentication sessions or rapidly changing information may lose value before quantum decryption becomes possible.
However, data with long-term sensitivity remains highly exposed.
Examples include:
Government Secrets
National security documents can remain classified for decades. If encrypted archives are harvested today, future quantum breakthroughs could expose highly sensitive intelligence.
Healthcare Records
Medical information remains relevant throughout a
Corporate Intellectual Property
Research projects, patents, engineering designs, and trade secrets often retain immense value for decades.
Legal and Financial Records
Long-term contracts, financial archives, and confidential business transactions could become future targets.
The longer information retains value, the greater the incentive for attackers to preserve encrypted copies today.
The G7 Roadmap May Not Be Moving Fast Enough
International governments are aware of the challenge.
The G7 Cyber Expert Group released a roadmap encouraging organizations to begin preparing for Post-Quantum Cryptography migration.
The roadmap includes multiple phases:
Strategy Development
Organizations must establish executive awareness and governance frameworks.
Asset Discovery
Security teams need complete visibility into every system utilizing cryptography.
Migration Planning
Businesses must identify vulnerable systems and prioritize replacements.
Testing and Validation
New cryptographic standards require extensive compatibility and performance testing.
Continuous Monitoring
Post-migration environments must be regularly evaluated as standards evolve.
However, critics argue that some timelines remain overly optimistic. Certain planning activities are projected for 2028 and 2029, roughly the same period in which IBM expects its Starling fault-tolerant quantum computer project to become operational.
If quantum development progresses faster than expected, organizations delaying preparation could find themselves under immense pressure.
Three Critical Actions Every Organization Must Take Today
Inventory Every Cryptographic Asset
The first challenge is understanding where encryption exists across the organization.
Many enterprises operate thousands of applications, servers, devices, databases, and cloud services that rely on cryptographic protections.
Without a complete inventory, migration becomes nearly impossible.
Organizations must adopt continuous visibility programs capable of identifying encryption dependencies in real time rather than relying on occasional audits.
Make Quantum Readiness Part of Procurement
Every new technology purchase should be evaluated through a quantum readiness lens.
Organizations often introduce future security problems when they acquire products that lack Post-Quantum Cryptography support.
Embedding quantum requirements into procurement processes creates scalable protection without requiring massive dedicated programs.
Every server, application, network appliance, cloud service, and security solution purchased today should be assessed for future PQC compatibility.
Build Crypto Agility Before It Is Needed
Perhaps the most important recommendation involves crypto agility.
Crypto agility refers to the ability to rapidly replace cryptographic algorithms without redesigning entire systems.
For example, upgrading environments to modern protocols such as TLS 1.3 can establish the technical foundation required for future PQC integration.
Organizations do not necessarily need to switch algorithms immediately. Instead, they need infrastructure capable of adapting quickly when new standards become mandatory.
The companies that invest in flexibility today will face significantly lower migration costs tomorrow.
Deep Analysis: The Technical Challenge Behind Post-Quantum Migration
The transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography is not merely a software update. It represents one of the largest cryptographic transformations in internet history.
Many enterprises still operate legacy systems built around RSA and ECC encryption standards. Replacing these technologies often affects authentication systems, VPN infrastructure, certificates, cloud services, databases, IoT devices, and industrial control systems.
Security teams should begin identifying cryptographic dependencies using operational visibility and network analysis tools.
Linux-Based Discovery Commands
Identify OpenSSH Version
ssh -V
Check Supported SSH Algorithms
ssh -Q key
Test TLS Configuration
openssl s_client -connect example.com:443
Enumerate Certificates
find /etc/ssl -type f
Discover Listening Services
ss -tulpn
Inspect Cryptographic Libraries
ldd /usr/bin/ssh
Analyze TLS Capabilities
nmap --script ssl-enum-ciphers target.com
Monitor Network Encryption Usage
tcpdump -i eth0
Review OpenSSL Version
openssl version -a
Search for Legacy Cryptography
grep -r "RSA" /etc/
The organizations that begin these assessments today will possess a significant advantage when industry-wide migration accelerates.
What Undercode Say:
Quantum Security Is No Longer a Future Problem
The cybersecurity industry is entering a transition period comparable to the early days of internet adoption.
Many organizations still view quantum threats as distant theoretical concerns.
That perception is becoming increasingly dangerous.
The greatest risk is not the arrival of quantum computing itself.
The greatest risk is organizational complacency.
Most large enterprises do not possess complete visibility into their cryptographic footprint.
Many cannot accurately identify every certificate, encryption protocol, SSH implementation, VPN configuration, or cryptographic dependency operating across their infrastructure.
Without visibility, migration planning becomes guesswork.
Harvest-Now, Decrypt-Later strategies create a unique security challenge because the damage may occur long before victims realize they have been targeted.
Data stolen today could remain unreadable for years.
Organizations may incorrectly assume that because current encryption remains secure, current theft attempts are harmless.
That assumption ignores the long-term value of the stolen information.
Another concern involves supply chains.
Modern businesses depend heavily on third-party software vendors.
If suppliers fail to implement Post-Quantum Cryptography support, customer organizations inherit that risk.
This means quantum readiness extends far beyond internal security teams.
Procurement departments, executive leadership, legal teams, compliance officers, and software vendors must all participate.
The
An increase from 6% to 8% SSH support over a year demonstrates awareness but not urgency.
At that rate, widespread adoption could take far longer than available timelines permit.
Organizations should also recognize that migration complexity will vary significantly.
Large enterprises operating global infrastructures may require several years to fully replace legacy cryptographic systems.
Critical infrastructure providers face even greater challenges due to operational constraints and regulatory requirements.
Financial institutions are likely to lead adoption because of regulatory pressure and the long-term value of protected data.
Healthcare organizations should be equally concerned due to the lifelong sensitivity of medical records.
Government agencies face perhaps the highest stakes because classified information frequently remains valuable for decades.
Quantum readiness should therefore be viewed as a business continuity issue rather than a purely technical project.
The winners in the post-quantum era will not necessarily be the organizations with the largest budgets.
They will be the organizations that achieve visibility first, build crypto agility early, and establish governance before migration deadlines become unavoidable.
History consistently rewards early preparation.
Cybersecurity is no exception.
The quantum era is approaching faster than many executives realize.
The organizations beginning their journey today are likely to avoid the expensive emergency migrations that late adopters may eventually face.
✅ Forescout security executive Rik Ferguson publicly warned that Post-Quantum Cryptography adoption remains extremely low, with only a small percentage of SSH servers currently supporting PQC capabilities.
✅ Harvest-Now, Decrypt-Later attacks are recognized within cybersecurity communities and have been discussed by intelligence agencies as a realistic future threat model.
✅ EY research indicates strong executive awareness of quantum disruption, while strategic preparation remains significantly lower, highlighting a gap between concern and action.
Prediction
(+1) Accelerated Enterprise Investment in PQC 🔐📈
Major enterprises will begin allocating dedicated budgets for Post-Quantum Cryptography readiness between 2026 and 2028 as regulatory and compliance pressures increase globally.
(+1) Quantum Readiness Becomes a Procurement Requirement 🚀
Technology vendors lacking clear PQC migration roadmaps may face reduced enterprise adoption as buyers increasingly evaluate products based on long-term cryptographic resilience.
(-1) Legacy Infrastructure Will Become a Security Liability ⚠️
Organizations delaying asset inventory and crypto-agility projects may face costly emergency migrations once practical quantum milestones are reached.
(-1) Supply Chain Risks Will Expand 🌐
Even organizations that modernize internally could remain vulnerable if third-party vendors, software providers, or cloud partners fail to achieve quantum readiness on time.
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References:
Reported By: www.infosecurity-magazine.com
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