The Quantum-Safe Sentinel #2
Welcome to the second edition of our Quantum-Safe bulletin. Last month’s inaugural version received exceptional interest, and we want to thank all of you for your feedback and engagement. It reinforced a belief we hold strongly: awareness and continuous learning are essential foundations for achieving cyber resilience.
The structure of our bulletins will continue to cover the three key pillars of post-quantum safety, exploring the latest trends to keep you at the forefront of knowledge:
The Quantum Cyber Threat,
Post-Quantum Cybersecurity (PQC),
Quantum Cryptography.
Each edition concludes with a short awareness focus on an important concept. Last month, we explored crypto-agility. This week, we will highlight the Quantum talent shortage. As risk specialists, we have identified another obstacle to the rapid emergence of post-quantum cybersecurity: the lack of qualified professionals on the subject — quantum experts, but not only them.
Quantum awareness and learning should spread throughout organizations at all levels! Let us continue to learn and to introduce our colleagues to the quantum realm, its dangers as well as its wonders.
_ Paul Chammas, Managing Partner at QuRISK
I. The Quantum cyber Threat, from Anxiety to Agility
Recent News & Trends
At a CIO conclave in Ahmedabad, India, technology leaders warned that quantum computers could theoretically break AES-256 encryption in as little as seven minutes, underscoring the perception that quantum threat is “emerging now” rather than far off. (Source: The Times of India)
In a briefing for board-risk officers and CROs, the Global Risk Institute emphasised that quantum computing platforms are advancing rapidly toward fault-tolerant architecture, and organisations should begin assessing quantum risk now rather than waiting. (Source: Global Risk Institute)
Germany is preparing to issue a quantum-secure national ID card that incorporates post-quantum digital-signature schemes, signalling that sovereign documents are now being designed with quantum resistance in mind. (Source: Help Net Security)
QuRISK’s Analyse & Advice
The quantum cyber threat refers to the growing possibility that future quantum computers will be capable of breaking today’s widely used cryptographic systems, particularly threatening long-lived data that may already be intercepted and stored for future decryption. In the last months, the conversation has evolved from theoretical speculation to practical preparedness and timeline anxiety.
Predictions about the vulnerability of even strong symmetric encryption, the rise of quantum-secure national identity initiatives, and warnings to financial institutions all signal that quantum risk is entering mainstream cyber-risk management and national-security strategy.
At QuRISK we want to underline this shift: organisations can no longer treat the quantum threat as hypothetical. The priority is to move beyond awareness and conduct structured quantum-risk assessments, identifying harvest-now exposures and cryptographic weaknesses embedded across systems.
We also advise organisations to begin building crypto-agility (read our last issue), not because quantum computers will break today’s cryptography tomorrow, but because agility is the only sustainable long-term strategy to respond to evolving cryptographic requirements. Waiting increases future operational risk and can leave high-value data exposed in the long run.
II. PQC: the Growing Momentum
Recent News & Trends
AMI announced on 12 November 2025 a successful implementation of PQC support in its Aptio V UEFI firmware, the first known working implementation at the firmware or UEFI level, addressing infrastructure readiness for quantum-safe operations. (Source: AMI)
ST Engineering introduced a quantum-safe encryptor and a “PQC-readiness” platform for financial institutions — but not limited to them — at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2025, integrating cryptographic-inventory tooling and AI-driven risk engines. (Source: stengg.com)
Gigamon released GigaVUE 6.12, adding PQC capabilities to its deep-observability pipeline to help organisations detect harvest-now risks and prepare encrypted communication paths for a quantum-safe future. (Source: MSSP Alert)
QuRISK’s Analyse & Advice
PQC encompasses classical cryptographic algorithms engineered to withstand both classical and quantum attacks. In late 2025, PQC stands at a new inflection point: the shift from research and standardisation to real-world deployment across foundational technology layers.
This month’s developments, from PQC implementation in UEFI firmware to enhanced cryptographic detection pipelines and specialised readiness platforms for the financial sector, demonstrate growing momentum. Organisations are beginning to realise that PQC is not a distant upgrade but an operational necessity. Yet many remain early in their journey, discovering the extent of their cryptographic assets and dependencies across legacy environments.
QuRISK considers PQC migration a multi-year transformation that requires preparation, coordination, and governance, not a single technical update. Most organisations lack visibility into their cryptographic landscape, which remains the biggest blocker to building realistic PQC roadmaps. The recommended immediate focus:
PQC is operational today, and early movers will benefit from smoother, lower-risk transitions.
III. Quantum Cryptography : the Key to future secure Networks
Recent News & Trends
The Global Risk Institute’s November 2025 update highlights major progress in quantum hardware and networking, signalling that quantum cryptography is increasingly relevant for long-term strategic planning. (Download Global Risk Institute’s Report)
Researchers at Aalto University (Finland) demonstrated that a time-crystal constructed from magnons (quasi-particles tied to spin waves) in superfluid helium-3 can retain quantum coherence for minutes, when coupled with mechanical surface waves. This is a major step from the millisecond storage times common in many quantum systems. (Source: Live Science)
According to a press release from QphoX (Netherlands) and partners on the “Superspin” project (EIC Pathfinder-funded), a key link is being developed between a superconducting quantum processor and a spin-based optical quantum memory. The goal: store the state of a superconducting processor in an optical memory via quantum frequency conversion, which is critical for interconnecting heterogeneous quantum systems. (Source: QphoX)
QuRISK’s Analyse & Advice
Quantum Cryptography leverages fundamental laws of quantum physics to secure communications by making any interception attempt inherently detectable. This includes Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG), and emerging protocols such as Quantum Secure Direct Communication (QSDC).
This month’s developments show these technologies evolving from research prototypes into strategic national assets. Updates from global risk bodies, European initiatives, and the incorporation of quantum-secure elements into identity systems all point toward the early formation of quantum-ready communication infrastructures. These efforts represent the first steps toward future quantum networks and, eventually, the quantum internet.
QuRISK views quantum cryptography as a complement to PQC, not a replacement. While PQC addresses the majority of near-term needs, quantum cryptography becomes relevant for organisations managing extremely sensitive or long-retention data.
We recommend that organisations:
Monitor QKD, QRNG, and evolving standards.
Evaluate long-term use cases for ultra-secure communication.
Consider interoperability and telecom-infrastructure constraints.
Start preparing architectural space for future quantum-secure communication layers.
Quantum cryptography is not yet a mainstream requirement, but it is increasingly shaping the long-term trajectory of secure networks and national cybersecurity strategy.
This Month’s Awareness Topic: the Quantum Talent Shortage
A multi-layer challenge for Quantum-Safe readiness.
As quantum technologies evolve at unprecedented speed, a critical obstacle is emerging for organizations: the multi-layer quantum talent gap. Quantum-safe readiness requires far more than a handful of experts: it demands a whole ecosystem of skills.
First, organizations need quantum specialists able to implement quantum or post-quantum solutions. Yet this talent pool remains scarce and highly competitive.
Second, the transition to quantum-safe architectures calls for hybrid profiles who can bridge classical and quantum worlds — professionals who understand algorithms, networking, cryptographic migration, system integration, and the operational impact of quantum technologies.
But the third layer is just as essential and often overlooked: non-technical teams must also gain quantum literacy. HR must recognize quantum-relevant skill sets; sales and business teams must be able to communicate quantum value and limitations; compliance, procurement, and risk teams must understand the stakes; and leadership must make informed strategic decisions. Without this broader awareness, even the best technical talent may not be enough to drive meaningful adoption.
In short, quantum readiness is a collective capability. The organizations that succeed will be those that build depth, hybrid expertise, and cross-functional quantum awareness.
👉 Explore QuRISK’s full article “The Quantum Talent Gap” to dive deeper into this challenge, and discover practical solutions to address it.
oQo is watching
🚨 The Quantum-Safe Sentinel is watching for you, helping you stay secure and a step ahead in the Quantum era.
If you appreciate our work for the community, please like and share our publications, follow our page, and promote it to colleagues who may benefit from these insights.
☎️ If you have any suggestions or comments about our publications, or if you would like to discuss these important topics with one of our experts, feel free to book a meeting at www.qurisk.fr or to contact us contact@qurisk.fr.
🙌🏼 Stay tuned for more to come. Stay healthy, and quantum-safe to you all.
🦉 This bulletin is powered by oQo, QuRISK’s Quantum Virtual Advisor: an AI-driven LLM designed to augment professionals on quantum technology–related themes, including securing adoption, risk management, and cybersecurity. To learn more about oQo, please visit www.myoqo.ai.
It is published by QuRISK - Quantum Risk Advisory, a French firm specialized in Quantum Risk & Cybersecurity.
