The post-quantum era is approaching faster than expected, and the transition timeline is tighter than many realize. The stakes are high, and delaying the shift to quantum-resistant security comes with serious risks.
But let’s be honest: migrating your PKI and digital infrastructure to withstand quantum threats feels overwhelming. It’s complex, time-consuming, and easy to put off. We get it.
Still, it’s not a matter of if but when.
So what if there was a way to make the transition easier – and even a little exciting? It might sound unlikely, but that’s exactly what the Keyfactor team is doing. We hosted a live comic drawing and storytelling webinar, where we broke down PQC concepts and transition strategies in a way that’s easy to understand, engaging, and actionable.
47 Days: The Reality of Expiring Certificates
Many organizations treat PKI as a “set it and forget it” system, but that approach doesn’t hold up as systems grow and the security landscape changes. As Keyfactor Chief Security Officer Chris Hickman puts it, “PKI is usually built in a vacuum for a particular use case.” That means it often isn’t designed to handle the evolving needs of modern infrastructure.
If keeping up with 300-day certificate expirations already feels like a challenge, brace yourself: by 2029, certificate lifespans could drop to just 47 days. This isn’t a hypothetical. Leading browsers and certificate authorities have already voted to make it happen.
Why the shift? Shorter lifespans reduce the window of opportunity for attackers – great for security, but a nightmare for manual management. What used to be a once-a-year task could soon become a daily scramble. With the rise of short-lived workloads like cloud applications, containers, and IoT devices, PKI management is only getting more complex.
Without a solid strategy – and automation – you’re left playing catch-up, increasing your risk of outages, security gaps, and compliance failures.
Keeping up requires a shift in mindset, as the PKI Admin discovers in our latest comic book adventure, The Race Against Quantum Time. PKI can no longer be a one-time setup; you have to manage and adapt it continuously as your tech infrastructure and security needs change.
The Increasing Complexity of Cryptographic Transitions
Cryptographic transitions aren’t as simple as a software update. Today’s cryptography is fragile, and moving from one algorithm to another takes careful planning.
The shift to post-quantum cryptography adds another layer of complexity. Once quantum computers can run Shor’s algorithm, they’ll break RSA and ECC, making existing cryptographic infrastructures obsolete.
To stay secure, you’ll need more than just new algorithms.
The transition requires updated hardware security modules (HSMs), new roots of trust components, and a restructured PKI architecture. Without a clear strategy, managing this shift can quickly become overwhelming, putting your systems at risk.
For most organizations, actively managing encryption will be a big change. This is because they’ve been treating PKI as just a compliance checkbox instead of a proactive security measure. But with the rise of new threats and the shift to quantum readiness, it’s no longer enough to just check off a box.
For instance, visibility over your cryptographic assets will become crucial. Without it, you can’t be sure your encryption is doing what it’s supposed to. As Hickman put it, “You can’t have a successful outcome without a full analysis and cryptographic discovery within your organization.”
Why Transition Now
Well, for two reasons: time and growth.
The quantum timeline is tighter than it appears
In February 2025, Microsoft launched Majorana 1, the first Quantum Processing Unit. So if you think it would take years for quantum computers to be fully developed, think again.
Quantum computing is expected to make many common cryptography algorithms insecure in the next few years. That’s why NIST has announced that asymmetric encryption algorithms will be deprecated and disallowed between 2030-2035.
This leaves you with one option: start your PQC migration now or risk missing the deadline.
The challenge at scale
Scaling PKI security can be tough. It requires consistent management and updates across many devices and endpoints. Since systems are interconnected, a single vulnerability can impact the entire network.
Now, transitioning a scaled PKI to PQC brings even bigger challenges and takes more time. Think about how many devices and systems need updates with new cryptographic algorithms—experts estimate up to 20 billion globally. The complexity grows as you ensure backward compatibility, manage the migration without disrupting operations, and address any vulnerabilities in the current infrastructure that might surface during the transition.
That’s why it’s important to start now, before it’s too late.
What Should You Do?
There’s no better way to mitigate these challenges than implementing PKI and security best practices that can help you minimize the risks of security vulnerabilities, operational inefficiencies, and noncompliance. Here are some strategies you should try.
Prioritize cryptographic discovery: It’s been said “you can’t protect what you don’t know about.” Therefore, you must prioritize identifying and cataloging all cryptographic assets within your organization. A standard cryptographic inventory is critical to planning your PQC migration. You might want to work with a cross-functional team (PKI, security, development) to ensure seamless migration.
Develop a crypto-agile strategy: Being crypto-agile means building a flexible security strategy and infrastructure that can quickly adjust to new threats and keep your assets secure. This includes making sure your team is well-equipped to quickly respond to industry shifts. Keep your goals clear, but be ready to pivot when necessary. Don’t forget to engage your board-level executives early. Get their buy-in and secure funding for your PQC initiatives so you can make the transition smoothly.
Industry collaboration is essential: No entity can tackle this problem alone because of the sheer number of moving parts it entails. Collaborate with other industry leaders and PKI SaaS providers like Keyfactor to develop PQC transition strategies tailored to your business’s tech infrastructure.
Next Steps: Resources to Simplify PQC Concepts
Quantum threats aren’t waiting – your transition shouldn’t either.
Crypto-agility helps ease the PQC transition, but it’s not enough on its own. The PQC transition process isn’t a one-time shift; it requires collaboration between PKI teams, security experts, and developers to make updates throughout your entire environment. Tech concepts are tricky to grasp, and PQC is a whole new ballgame.
That’s why we hosted this action-packed PQC comic webinar, for advice from the teams navigating the quantum future before it arrives. Watch it on demand! You’ll hear why visibility, strategic planning, and collaboration are key to PQC readiness. Plus, our talented comic artist brings these concepts to life live on stream! Check it out for a unique look into the future of quantum resilience and crypto-agility.
Ready to take the next step? Get a free demo of Keyfactor’s solutions today or explore PQC Lab. No matter which step you take next, Keyfactor is here to guide you through your quantum-readiness journey.
