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Introduction: The Cybersecurity Race Against the Quantum Clock
The cybersecurity world is entering one of its most important transitions in decades. While many organisations still view quantum computing as a distant technological breakthrough, security experts warn that the foundations of future cyber attacks are already being built today. Encrypted information stolen now could become valuable years later when quantum machines become powerful enough to break current cryptographic protections.
One of the leading voices raising awareness about this challenge is Moona Ederveen-Schneider, a cybersecurity strategist with more than two decades of experience across global financial institutions, including Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, UBS, Nomura and ABN Amro. As the founder of Resilia Connect and author of the Practical Post-Quantum Transition Framework, she focuses on helping organisations prepare for the security risks created by quantum computing.
Her message is clear: post-quantum cybersecurity is not a problem for tomorrow. It is an organisational transformation that must begin today.
Who Is Moona Ederveen-Schneider and Why Her Perspective Matters A Career Built Around Financial Security and Cyber Resilience
Moona Ederveen-Schneider has spent more than 20 years working at the intersection of finance, risk management and cybersecurity. Her career includes leadership positions at some of the world’s largest financial organisations, where protecting sensitive information and maintaining operational resilience are critical priorities.
She previously served as Executive Director EMEA at the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), an organisation dedicated to improving cybersecurity collaboration across the financial sector.
Her experience provides a unique perspective because financial institutions are among the industries most exposed to the future impact of quantum computing. Banks, insurers and investment companies rely heavily on encryption to protect transactions, customer identities and confidential business information.
The Quantum Threat Is Not a Future Problem, It Is Already Developing
The Hidden Risk of “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” Attacks
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding quantum computing is that organisations only need to worry when a powerful quantum computer actually exists.
According to Ederveen-Schneider, this assumption is dangerous.
Cybercriminals and state-sponsored attackers are already collecting encrypted information today with the expectation that future quantum technology will allow them to decrypt it.
This strategy is known as “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” (HNDL).
The concept is simple:
Attackers steal encrypted data today.
They store it for years.
When quantum computers become capable of breaking traditional encryption, they unlock the stolen information.
This creates a serious risk for industries where confidentiality matters for decades, including:
Government communications
Banking records
Healthcare information
Intellectual property
Military intelligence
Corporate secrets
The danger is that data does not need to be valuable immediately. Information stolen today may become extremely valuable in the future.
Why Many Organisations Are Still Underestimating Quantum Security Risks
The Challenge of Understanding an Invisible Threat
Many businesses struggle to prioritise quantum security because the threat does not look like traditional cyber attacks.
Unlike ransomware, phishing or malware campaigns, quantum attacks are not causing immediate disruption today. There are no visible breaches, locked systems or ransom demands.
This makes the problem psychologically difficult for executives.
Ederveen-Schneider explains that many organisations initially feel overwhelmed because quantum migration appears technically complicated and expensive.
However, through her tabletop exercises and transition framework, she has seen organisations move from uncertainty to confidence once they understand the practical steps required.
The biggest barrier is not technology. It is awareness and planning.
Governments and Technology Companies Are Already Warning Businesses
The Timeline for Post-Quantum Migration Is Shorter Than Many Expect
The global cybersecurity community is increasingly pushing organisations to begin migration planning.
The UK National Cyber Security Centre has recommended that organisations complete detailed post-quantum migration planning by 2028 and aim for full migration by 2035.
Technology companies are also accelerating their preparation.
Google has publicly discussed internal migration timelines closer to 2029, reflecting concerns that quantum computing development may progress faster than expected.
For large enterprises, replacing cryptographic systems is not a simple software update.
A complete migration requires:
Identifying all cryptographic systems
Mapping sensitive data flows
Updating applications
Replacing vulnerable algorithms
Testing compatibility
Managing third-party suppliers
Large organisations often require five years or more to complete such transformations.
Some global enterprises may require twice that amount of time.
The message from experts is becoming increasingly consistent: waiting until quantum computers arrive will be too late.
Post-Quantum Migration Is More Than a Technology Upgrade
Why Cybersecurity Teams Cannot Solve This Alone
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is treating quantum migration as only an IT or cybersecurity project.
Ederveen-Schneider argues that this approach is fundamentally wrong.
Post-quantum preparation affects the entire business.
Sensitive information exists across:
Human resources departments
Legal teams
Financial systems
Customer platforms
Cloud environments
Supply chains
The organisation must first understand what information requires protection and how long that information must remain confidential.
A customer database requiring protection for 20 years creates a different security challenge compared with temporary operational data.
The first question should not be:
Where are our encryption keys?
The first question should be:
“What information are we protecting, and how long must it remain secret?”
The Importance of Crypto-Agility in the Quantum Era
Building Security Systems That Can Adapt
A major concept behind modern post-quantum preparation is crypto-agility.
Crypto-agility means an organisation can quickly replace cryptographic algorithms without rebuilding its entire technology environment.
Traditional cybersecurity systems often depend on deeply integrated encryption methods that are difficult and expensive to replace.
A crypto-agile architecture allows businesses to:
Replace vulnerable algorithms faster
Respond to new threats
Reduce dependency on outdated technology
Improve long-term resilience
This capability will become increasingly important as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced cyber attacks continue evolving.
Deep Analysis: Technical Preparation for the Post-Quantum Future
Understanding Current Cryptographic Dependencies
Organisations should begin by discovering where cryptography exists throughout their infrastructure.
Example discovery commands:
Search Linux systems for SSL/TLS certificates find / -name ".pem" -o -name ".crt"
Check active TLS connections
openssl s_client -connect example.com:443
Identify OpenSSL version
openssl version -a
These simple checks help security teams understand their current encryption environment.
Mapping Cryptographic Usage Across Networks
Security teams should build a complete cryptographic inventory.
Example:
Scan network services nmap --script ssl-enum-ciphers -p 443 example.com
Check SSH encryption algorithms
ssh -Q cipher
List supported key exchange methods
ssh -Q kex
The goal is identifying:
Weak algorithms
Long-term encryption dependencies
Legacy applications
Third-party risks
Preparing Applications for Post-Quantum Algorithms
The migration process will involve adopting quantum-resistant algorithms recommended by organisations such as NIST.
Examples of future-resistant cryptographic families include:
CRYSTALS-Kyber for key establishment
CRYSTALS-Dilithium for digital signatures
SPHINCS+ for hash-based signatures
Example testing environment:
Check cryptographic libraries python3 -c "import ssl; print(ssl.OPENSSL_VERSION)"
Review installed security packages
apt list --installed | grep openssl
Security Architecture Improvements Beyond Quantum Protection
Post-quantum migration also strengthens existing cybersecurity.
A stronger cryptographic foundation helps organisations defend against:
Ransomware attacks
Supply chain compromise
AI-powered cyber attacks
Credential theft
Data interception
Quantum preparation should therefore be viewed as a cybersecurity improvement program rather than a single technology replacement project.
What Undercode Say:
Quantum Security Will Become One of the Biggest Cybersecurity Priorities
Quantum computing represents a rare cybersecurity challenge because the threat exists before the technology fully arrives.
The traditional security mindset focuses on attacks happening today.
Quantum security requires organisations to think years ahead.
The biggest mistake companies can make is assuming they have enough time.
History shows that major technology transitions often take longer than expected.
Replacing encryption across global enterprises is not comparable to installing a software patch.
It involves thousands of systems, millions of files and countless dependencies.
The organisations that begin early will have a significant advantage.
Post-quantum migration is also an opportunity.
Companies can use this transition to modernise outdated security architectures.
Many businesses still operate with encryption systems created decades ago.
Quantum preparation forces organisations to ask important questions about their data.
What information matters most?
How long must it remain protected?
Who has access?
Where does it travel?
These questions improve cybersecurity regardless of quantum computing.
Another important point is that attackers do not need quantum computers today.
They only need patience.
Sensitive government, financial and corporate information stolen now could become a future intelligence asset.
The cybersecurity industry is moving toward a new era where adaptability becomes essential.
Crypto-agility will become as important as traditional security controls.
Companies that build flexible systems will respond faster to future threats.
Companies that ignore the transition may face expensive emergency migrations later.
The quantum challenge also highlights a broader cybersecurity lesson.
Technology evolves faster than organisations adapt.
The companies that survive future cyber threats will not necessarily be those with the biggest security budgets.
They will be those that plan early, understand their risks and create flexible security foundations.
Quantum computing is not only a cryptography problem.
It is a business resilience challenge.
✅ Quantum computers pose a future risk to current encryption systems
Current public-key encryption methods such as RSA and ECC are considered vulnerable to sufficiently powerful quantum computers using algorithms such as Shor’s algorithm.
The risk is why governments and technology companies are investing heavily in post-quantum cryptography standards.
✅ “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attacks are a recognised cybersecurity concern
Security researchers have warned that attackers may collect encrypted data today and attempt decryption when quantum capabilities improve.
This is especially concerning for information requiring long-term confidentiality.
✅ Post-quantum migration can take many years
Large enterprises often operate thousands of applications and third-party connections, making cryptographic replacement a complex transformation.
A multi-year migration timeline is considered realistic by many cybersecurity experts.
❌ Quantum computers today cannot break modern encryption at scale
Current quantum machines are not powerful enough to compromise widely used encryption systems.
The threat is based on future capability development rather than current attacks.
Prediction
(+1) Organisations that begin post-quantum planning early will gain a cybersecurity advantage
Companies investing in crypto-agility, data classification and modern security architectures will likely experience smoother transitions and stronger overall resilience.
(+1) Governments will continue increasing post-quantum security requirements
As quantum technology advances, regulatory bodies are expected to introduce stronger migration timelines for critical industries.
(+1) Post-quantum security will become a major cybersecurity market
Security vendors will increasingly develop migration tools, cryptographic discovery platforms and quantum-resistant solutions.
(-1) Companies delaying migration may face expensive emergency upgrades
Organisations waiting until quantum computers become practical may discover that replacing cryptographic infrastructure requires years of preparation.
(-1) Smaller businesses may struggle without guidance
Many smaller organisations lack cybersecurity resources and may need simplified migration frameworks to avoid falling behind.
(-1) Attackers will continue collecting encrypted data
The longer organisations delay preparation, the more historical encrypted information could become a future target.
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