Preparing for the Post-Quantum Reality
Quantum computing is advancing faster than many expected, and although its full impact is still years away, organizations cannot afford to wait. Samlink’s CISO Christian Eichin says the transition toward quantum-safe cybersecurity will be long, complex and resource-intensive, and that work must begin now.
Christian describes quantum technology as both an enormous opportunity and a significant threat. Once quantum computers reach sufficient scale, widely used encryption methods such as RSA 2048 and ECC can be broken in minutes or seconds. What would take years of classical computing power could drop to minutes, exposing critical infrastructure, financial systems, IoT devices and government services that rely on these algorithms.
The Coming Break in Encryption
A threat already visible is the “harvest now, decrypt later” approach, where attackers collect encrypted data today and plan to decrypt it once quantum capabilities become available.
“This is especially concerning in environments with long-lived, sensitive information such as banking, where historical data may still hold value years later,” Christian notes.
Preparing for this shift is difficult because modern encryption is deeply embedded in systems and applications. Replacing these components will require complex, multi-year transformation work. Quantum technology itself remains technically demanding, with unstable qubits, extreme temperature requirements and a limited number of specialists worldwide who fully understand the field.
“Not too many people truly understand quantum yet, let alone know how to integrate it,” Christian says.
Despite the technical challenges ahead, Christian emphasizes that the starting point is familiar: organizations must know what they have.
“You cannot protect what you don’t know you have,” he says. Maintaining a reliable, up-to-date asset inventory is notoriously difficult, but it is impossible to assess quantum-related risks without one. From there, organizations can begin identifying which systems depend on vulnerable cryptography, how these systems interact and what level of re-engineering will be required.
Long Preparation Cycles with Complex Decisions
Standardization will help guide the transition. NIST is expected to finalize quantum-resistant algorithms by the end of 2026, although Christian points out that technology development does not always follow the same timetable as standards. Breakthroughs from major quantum players have shown that progress can accelerate unexpectedly, reinforcing the need for preparation well before strict deadlines or regulatory requirements come into play.
Samlink is already helping organizations understand and prepare for this shift. As Christian explains, the company’s strength lies in combining deep infrastructure and application knowledge with emerging quantum insights.
The focus is not on building quantum technology, but on guiding customers through assessment, risk identification, and long-term migration planning.
Kyndryl’s role is to help organizations create the governance, visibility and structure needed to approach quantum readiness systematically, ensuring they are not trying to solve these issues “two months before”, but years in advance.
Kyndryl Quantum Readiness Journey
Christian also sees clear opportunities ahead. Quantum technology will eventually enable stronger communication, more secure identity and access management, and improved modelling for complex environments such as finance and insurance. It may also support more advanced simulations of risk and threat scenarios, and could one day enhance AI capabilities as the two fields converge.
Although quantum-level attacks may still be several years away, the preparation required to face them is extensive. The organizations that begin now by understanding their systems, assessing their exposure and planning the transition, will be the ones best positioned for the post-quantum future.