Getting started discover how to use IBM Quantum Safe for an encryption future migration plan
Grasping the quantum threat to encryption is one thing. Knowing where to kick-start your organisation’s migration to quantum-safe cryptography is another story altogether.” IBM Quantum Safe provides a methodical, tooled approach enabling organisations to move from discovery through to full cryptographic transformation — no quantum computing expertise required.
Step One: Discover — Understand what you are protecting
Cannot protect what you cannot see. A cryptographic inventory — a complete record of every single instance where your organisation uses encryption, what algorithms are in use and the data they protect — is the first step in any quantum-safe programme. IBM Quantum Safe Explorer has been created to do just that.
The Explorer maps your cryptographic usage across applications and infrastructure with static scanning and CI/CD pipeline integration. The result is a Cryptography Bill of Materials (CBOM) —a complete list of your cryptographic assets, akin to a software bill of materials (SBOM). This provides security teams with the visibility required to better understand their true exposure and start risk-based prioritisation.
Step Two: Observe — Track and prioritise risk
Discovery is a point-in-time event; cryptographic risk evolves. IBM Quantum Safe Advisor reintroduces continuous observability into your quantum-safe programme through of dynamic scanning, cryptographic posture management and AI-powered risk analysis.
The Advisor enables teams to track the cryptographic health of their environment over time, prioritising those with the most at-risk exposures, then making use of AI-based recommendations to drive decision-making. Instead of trying to solve through everything all at the same time — something that inundates most businesses — this risk-based method makes sure people and resources are focused on where it counts most.
Stage three: Transform — Remediate and build crypto-agility
After you have the image of your cryptographic landscape and a prioritised risk assessment in hand, the real work starts. IBM Quantum Safe Remediator advances the migration to post-quantum cryptographic standards, like NIST-approved quantum-safe algorithms for key encryption (for example, CRYSTALS-Kyber) as well as digital signatures (such as CRYSTALS-Dilithium and FALCON).
Crucially, the Remediator is architected to create crypto-agility in your systems — not just swap one set of algorithms for another. Crypto-agility is the ability to swap out cryptographic standards in your organisation without using a sledgehammer that might take years or decades with wholesale re-engineering and builds resilience not just against the quantum threat but also any future potential for a cryptographic weakness.
Actions you can take now to advance your quantum-safe cryptography roadmap
Referencing the IBM Quantum-Safe Readiness Index and key learnings from leading organisations, the following steps will provide any organisation with a meaningful head start:
- Bring the discussion to the board level. Getting quantum safe is a strategic business risk, not an IT housekeeping exercise. The CISO must ensure they have easy access to the board and position this as a matter of business continuity and competitive positioning.
- Hire a cryptographic discovery exercise. Generate your CBOM and understand current exposure using IBM Quantum Safe Explorer or equivalent tooling.
- Consider the temporal value of your data. The risk is to data that should be kept secret for 10, 20 or even 25 years — thanks to harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks, those will be susceptible to quantum risk today. Prioritise its protection accordingly.
- Establish a crypto-agility plan. Don’t merely migrate to post-quantum algorithms — enable future algorithm changeover at speed.
- Involve your supply chain. Your security posture is only as good as the weakest supplier. Demand quantum-safe roadmaps from major vendors and partners.
- Invest in talent. At twice the rate of average organisations, Quantum-Safe Champions prioritise new talent. Think of setting up your own internal quantum-safe centre of excellence.
The time to start is now
IBM’s Quantum-Safe roadmap (2022 through 2026 and beyond) — as well as the data maturation cycle of quantum-safe cryptography within organisations that began early in adopting this capability- has already begun to yield dividends in areas of broader operational resilience, agility and data security maturity. Quantum-Safe Champions are now reporting an overall level of resilience that is close to three times greater than their least-ready counterparts, not simply because they’ve solved a challenge of the future, but as it turns out, the discipline required in quantifying quantum-safe readiness makes organisations more adept at security in general.
“Similar to a marathon, you need to choose a pace that suits your business goals — and one that doesn’t leave you out of breath trying to catch up.”
IBM Quantum Safe offers the tools, expertise, and roadmap to help make that journey manageable. The quantum clock is ticking. A bit of preparation, and your organisation could be prepared.
