PQC Transformation: No One Wants to Do This Job. But Someone Has To.
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) transformation is going to be a miserable experience without AI, automation, and—let’s be honest—some serious help.
Imagine this:
You’ve got a haystack. Not just any haystack, but one with 100,000 needles buried inside it. Your job? Find every single one, paint it red, and put it back without disturbing the hay. Oh, and start with the ones in the middle first. Those are the most important.
To make it even more fun, we’ll be adding new hay and new needles while you’re working. You have seven years to finish, but actually, we need it done in five.
Oh, and you can’t touch the needles while painting them.
See you in five years! Or ten. Probably ten.
Welcome to the Wretchedly Unhappy World of PQC Transformation
We don’t provide services. We don’t make money off recommended services. We are a pure SaaS company. But here’s the cold, hard truth: You absolutely need services to complete your PQC transformation.
This project isn’t glamorous. No one is going to throw you a parade when you finish. It’s a long, tedious grind with very few moments of victory. If DLP projects were a nightmare, PQC transformation is the horror sequel no one asked for.
DLP projects struggled because no one could fully automate classification and enforcement. They required services, and many of them still failed. But PQC is different—this is a no-fail mission with an unforgiving deadline. If you’re a target (hint: if you have data, you’re a target), this has to get done.
DIY = Delayed Implementation (or Disaster Inevitable)
Could you do this yourself? Sure.
Will it be cheaper? Maybe.
Will it be faster or better? Absolutely not.
The reality is that this is a 5-10 year project for large enterprises. People switch jobs every few years, which means turnover alone could derail your progress. If your cryptography lead quits, are you really going to be able to replace them with someone who understands your half-completed, custom-built crypto transition plan? Didn’t think so.
Even a hybrid approach—internal teams with external service support—is infinitely better than trying to brute-force this alone.
What a PQC Project Actually Looks Like (Hint: It’s a Grind)
Every enterprise is different, but the steps are roughly the same:
Lessons Learned
Executive Buy-In (aka Convincing Leadership This Is Real)
Most executives don’t want to deal with this. They assume RSA will be fine until they retire, and the next CISO can deal with it. Wrong. Breaking RSA is getting closer every day, and transitioning to PQC takes longer than the attack timeline.
01
Assemble the Dream Team (or at Least a Functional Committee)
At minimum, you’ll need IT and InfoSec leadership involved. If you have cryptography or quantum experts, great! If not, don’t worry—we know people.
02
Conduct the Inventory (No, You Can’t Skip This)
Before you can fix anything, you need to know where your cryptography actually lives. This is where you determine how much work you’re in for.
03
Build the Roadmap
Now that you have your inventory, prioritize the crucial systems. Figure out what needs fixing first and plan your timeline.
04
Quantitative Risk Assessment
Map out your financial risk based on data exposure. This will give you a reality check on why this project matters.
05
Find the Corner to Start From
PQC transformation isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Your first step might be a quick test run or a months-long battle with legacy infrastructure. Either way, start small and expand.
06
Enter the Grind
Here’s where things get fun. Or rather, not fun at all. Most of this work will involve dealing with legacy hardware, ancient software, and documentation that was last updated in 2008. It’s tedious. It’s frustrating. It’s unavoidable.
07
Verify, Verify, Verify
Even when you think you’re done, you’re not. You need constant verification to ensure everything is actually working.
08
No Regrets. No Excuses. No Procrastination.
Steps 1-5? No risk. Do them now.
Choosing a service provider? Do it after inventory.
We can’t stress this enough: Do. Your. Inventory. First.
Why? Because your needs could be wildly different than you think. Maybe you have complicated legacy systems that require niche expertise. Or maybe you just have a lot of straightforward work that doesn’t need an overpriced consulting firm. Picking the wrong provider upfront could cost you millions.
So, let’s not turn your PQC transformation into another DLP disaster. Start smart, get help, and get moving. Because the quantum threat isn’t waiting—and neither should you.
