How CISOs Are Readying the Enterprise for Post-Quantum Cryptography

Technology policy and quantum computing attorney Paul Stimers was featured in an InformationWeek article covering how companies are preparing for the arrival of quantum computing and subsequent adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Quantum computers pose a significant threat to traditional cybersecurity because they process complex calculations at a much higher rate than normal computers, enabling them to crack standard cryptography more easily. The article described how chief information security officers (CISOs) are spearheading efforts to protect data and mitigate the looming threat, with 2030 as the target year for QPC readiness. Paul, who leads the Quantum Industry Coalition, emphasized the high stakes involved in securing sensitive information now, even as information technology (IT) teams explore other ways to harness this emerging technology for tasks such as logistics optimization. He added that regulators are also taking action, pointing to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) approval of algorithms that rely on a type of math more difficult for quantum computers to manage.

"The urgency in adopting post-quantum cryptography is immediate because the damage is taking place now and has been taking place for some time," he said. "We've reached what is being called quantum advantage, where quantum is better if not exclusively able to do something...We have to get it done."

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