How to prepare for post-quantum cryptography in 2026
Organisations should start post-quantum preparation with a cryptographic inventory, then prioritise systems holding long-lived sensitive data and build crypto-agility. NIST’s 2024 standards (FIPS 203, 204 and 205) make it possible to begin hybrid migration today.
Why the clock has already started
Encrypted data captured today can be stored and decrypted later, once a sufficiently powerful quantum computer exists. This is called "harvest now, decrypt later". Records that must stay confidential for ten years or more are already exposed.
Step 1: Build a cryptographic inventory
List every place your systems use public-key cryptography: TLS endpoints, VPNs, code signing, databases, hardware security modules and third-party services.
Step 2: Prioritise by data lifetime
Rank systems by how long their data must remain secret and how exposed they are to interception.
Step 3: Design for crypto-agility
Wrap cryptographic calls behind well-defined interfaces so algorithms can be replaced through configuration rather than rewrites.
Step 4: Pilot hybrid key exchange
Start with hybrid TLS that combines a classical algorithm with ML-KEM on one internal service, then measure latency and compatibility.