The strategy organizations adopt today for infrastructure, security, and partnerships will shape their long-term resilience against emerging quantum threats. Quantum computing promises breakthroughs but also poses risks, particularly to public-key cryptography that safeguards data, identities, and software integrity. Without quantum-safe protections, sensitive information like financial records or government communications could be compromised, and devices might accept fraudulent updates. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is the industry’s response to this looming challenge.
Adversaries are already employing tactics like “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” (HNDL), collecting encrypted data to decrypt once quantum capabilities mature. Modern data centers, which house valuable, long-lived data, are particularly vulnerable, making immediate protection a priority. Recent regulatory mandates and updated timelines have shifted the focus from future planning to immediate action. For example, the NSA targets 2027 for compliant new acquisitions, while a U.S. Executive Order requires high-value federal systems to adopt PQC by the end of 2030 for key establishment and by the end of 2031 for digital signatures. Similar global mandates are accelerating the need for quantum-safe infrastructure.
Organizations must prioritize both secure communications and secure products. Cryptography ensures trust in infrastructure, including device identity and software verification. Without quantum-safe protections, attackers could impersonate trusted devices or introduce malicious firmware. This is especially critical as AI accelerates data-center expansions. Infrastructure deployed today will likely still be operational during key PQC milestones, making cryptographic agility a necessity to avoid costly retrofits. Organizations should assess their cryptographic exposure, prioritize upgrades for long-lived data and critical systems, and integrate crypto-agility into current architecture and procurement decisions.
Cisco is taking steps to make post-quantum migration actionable. By December 2026, the company plans to enable quantum-safe communications across the majority of its core portfolio, with new routers, switches, and firewalls featuring quantum-safe secure boot. Cisco’s investments in distributed quantum computing also provide a broader perspective on the security challenges of this transition. The quantum transition is already underway, and the infrastructure choices organizations make today will determine whether the move to quantum-safe is a planned transition or a disruptive retrofit.