Why post-quantum readiness is really a key lifecycle problem: Post-quantum cryptography is often framed as a future threat. That framing misses the real challenge.The risk is not the moment a quantum computer breaks an algorithm. The risk is the long transition period before and after that moment. During this phase, organizations must support hybrid cryptography, manage multiple trust models and rotate keys across heterogeneous systems without downtime.In my experience, most enterprises are not prepared for this. They struggle to answer basic questions today. Where are our keys? Which applications depend on them? How quickly can we replace them if needed?Without clear answers, crypto agility is impossible. You cannot switch algorithms at scale if you cannot rotate keys safely and predictably.Post-quantum readiness, then, is less about choosing the right algorithm and more about building the operational muscle to change cryptography without fear. AI systems change how keys are used and abused: AI introduces a shift that many security teams underestimate. Traditional applications use keys in relatively predictable ways. AI systems do not.Inference pipelines scale dynamically. Autonomous agents interact with multiple services. Decisions are made without human intervention. In these environments, keys protect not just data, but behavior.I have seen cases where a single compromised key allowed an attacker to influence downstream decisions rather than simply access information. That is a fundamentally different kind of risk.This is why key management for AI systems must evolve. Rotation intervals must shrink. Usage patterns must be monitored. Keys must be tightly scoped to purpose rather than reused for convenience.If AI is the brain of modern systems, keys are the nervous system. When the nervous system is compromised, control is lost entirely. The hidden danger of long-lived trust: Long-lived trust has survived for decades because it was convenient. Certificates are valid for years. Shared keys reused across environments. Secrets embedded in configuration files that nobody wants to touch.In a post quantum and AI-driven world, these practices become liabilities.Quantum-capable adversaries can harvest encrypted data today and decrypt it later. Long-lived keys increase the value of that data. AI-driven attacks can exploit exposed keys at machine speed, long before humans can respond.Short-lived, purpose-bound keys are no longer a best practice. They are a prerequisite for survival. What leaders misunderstand about crypto agility: Crypto Agility is often described as the ability to swap algorithms when standards change. That definition is incomplete.True crypto agility depends on operational design. Keys must be decoupled from applications. Rotation must be automated. Failure must be expected and rehearsed.In environments where keys are hard-coded or managed manually, cryptographic change becomes a high-risk event. Teams delay upgrades not because they disagree with the need, but because they fear breaking production.I have seen organizations postpone critical security improvements simply because their key management foundations were too fragile to support change. Strengthening the weakest link: Improving key management does not require radical transformation. It requires focus.Start by establishing a real key inventory with clear ownership and purpose. Shorten lifetimes aggressively and treat non-rotating keys as technical debt. Separate cryptographic policy from application logic so systems consume keys rather than manage them. Practice cryptographic incident response, not just system outages. Align AI governance with cryptographic governance so speed does not override safety.These steps are unglamorous, but they are effective. I have seen meaningful risk reduction achieved without changing a single algorithm, simply by fixing how keys are handled. The future is already operational: Post-quantum cryptography and AI security are often framed as future concerns. In reality, they are already shaping how systems fail today.The organizations that will succeed are not those that adopt the newest algorithms first. They are the ones who treat key management as critical infrastructure rather than an implementation detail.Strong cryptography has always depended on strong operations. The difference now is that the cost of getting it wrong has never been higher.In a post quantum and AI-driven world, the strongest algorithm in the world cannot compensate for the weakest link.This article is published as part of the Foundry Expert Contributor Network.Want to join?
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