Summary: Following the finalization of FIPS 203/204/205 standards, NIST has issued a formal recommendation that organizations must begin “Active Migration” to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) in 2026. The agency warns that “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” (HNDL) attacks are already targeting long-shelf-life data (like trade secrets and healthcare records).
Business Impact: Compliance urgency. Government contracts (especially US/EU) will soon mandate PQC compliance. For financial institutions, upgrading the “Root of Trust” (HSMs and certificates) is a multi-year project that must start this quarter to avoid obsolescence.
Why It Happened: Advances in error-correction for quantum computers have accelerated the timeline for potential RSA encryption breaking, moving the threat from “theoretical” to “inevitable.”
Recommended Executive Action: Inventory your “Long-Term Data” (data retained for 7+ years). Prioritize switching the encryption keys for this specific data to the new ML-KEM (Kyber) standard first.
Hashtags: #NIST #PQC #QuantumSecurity #Cryptography #QDay #Compliance