Post-Quantum Cryptography: “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” and Where Companies Should Start
Today’s quantum computers aren’t powerful enough to break the encryption the internet relies on. But that doesn’t mean the threat is far away. Attackers can collect encrypted data today, store it, and decrypt it once sufficiently powerful quantum computers arrive. This approach is known as "harvest now, decrypt later." For data that must stay confidential for years, the risk begins the moment it’s encrypted.
In 2026, the topic moved out of research labs and into calendars, procurement documents, and compliance plans. This article summarizes what has changed in the move to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and where companies should start.
The Timeline Is Now Concrete
- The standards are ready: In 2024, NIST published its first post-quantum encryption standards (ML-KEM, ML-DSA, and SLH-DSA). Under NIST IR 8547, algorithms such as RSA-2048 and ECC P-256 are to be deprecated around 2030 and disallowed in NIST-aligned systems by 2035.
- The EU roadmap: The coordinated framework published in June 2025 expects member states to publish national PQC strategies and begin cryptographic inventories by the end of 2026, complete the transition for high-risk use cases by 2030, and the rest by 2035.
- The US: A June 2026 executive order set targets for federal agencies of 2030 for key establishment and 2031 for digital signatures.
- Industry: Google announced in March 2026 a target of completing its own infrastructure migration by 2029. In May 2026, Microsoft made ML-DSA support generally available in Certificate Services (AD CS) on Windows Server 2025, which means post-quantum algorithms have reached the infrastructure most companies already run.
Why "It’s Still Early" Is Risky
Data can outlive the migration window. Health records, identity data, intellectual property, and long-term contracts may need confidentiality for 10 to 15 years. If that data is encrypted with classical methods today, it carries the risk of being decrypted later.
Migration takes years. In a large organization, just finding where cryptography is used is a project in itself. You can’t plan a migration without an inventory, and 2030 is closer than it first looks.
Long-lived devices are a special risk. IoT and embedded devices that will run in the field for 10 to 15 years must be able to support tomorrow’s algorithms as they’re designed today. A device that can’t receive secure remote updates becomes the hardest component to replace later. This also lines up with the security-update expectations of the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
Customers are starting to ask. In regulated sectors, PQC roadmap questions are entering tenders and supplier assessments. Even companies that aren’t directly regulated may feel this demand through the supply chain.
Where to Start: 5 Steps
1. Build a cryptographic inventory. Which algorithms, keys, certificates, and protocols are used where? TLS, VPN, PKI, code and firmware signing, database encryption, and third-party dependencies should all be in scope. Think of this inventory as the cryptographic counterpart of a software bill of materials (SBOM).
2. Prioritize by data lifetime and exposure. Start with the data that must stay confidential longest and the systems most exposed externally. Long-term archives and sensitive data in transit are usually near the top.
3. Make crypto-agility part of your architecture. Instead of hard-coding algorithms, build a structure where they can be swapped and configured. Automate certificate management and design a secure remote update path into your devices from the start.
4. Pilot, and consider a hybrid approach. Hybrid designs that combine classical and post-quantum algorithms provide extra assurance during the transition. Run pilots on low-risk systems; many cloud and CDN providers have started offering post-quantum support, so evaluate what they offer.
5. Ask your suppliers. Learn the PQC roadmaps of the software, hardware, and cloud services you rely on, and add matching requirements to new contracts.
Conclusion: A Planned Start, Not Panic
The post-quantum transition isn’t a change you make overnight; it’s a transformation that starts with an inventory and spreads over years. The right time to begin is today, without rushing but without delay. Companies that build their inventory and put crypto-agility into their architecture will be prepared whichever regulation arrives on whichever date.
Our related service: https://www.ranna.com.tr/en/software-development-service/