Are you engaging your board on quantum-safe migration in the right way?

As quantum computing advances, are you engaging your board in the right way on quantum-safe migration? Cybersecurity leaders need to go beyond technical concerns and emphasize the business risks and strategic opportunities posed by quantum threats.

The challenge? Many boards may not be hearing the quantum-safe migration narrative framed in the right way.

For cybersecurity leaders, it is necessary to shift the conversation from purely technical to strategic to gain the critical support for an initiative that will future-proof your organization. Here’s how to effectively position quantum-safe migration as a board-level priority:

Why Quantum-Safe Migration Should Matter to the Board?

While the technical risks of quantum computing are well-known to cybersecurity professionals, many board members may not fully grasp the magnitude of the threat specific to their organization and the opportunities it brings.

Boards need to understand that quantum threats can disrupt business resilience, compliance, and competitive advantage. Here’s why it’s critical:

• Quantum Threats Impacting Digital Infrastructure: Quantum computers will break today’s cryptography in the future, threatening the foundation of secure communications and data protection that businesses rely on. It is increasing probability event as the years pass, with very high impact on the business. Data intercepted today could be decrypted in the future, putting your entire digital infrastructure at risk and affecting trust in the digital systems that underpin the modern economy.

• Compliance and Regulatory Pressures: Global regulators are increasingly aware of the potential consequences of quantum threats to national security and the economy. Compliance requirements, guidelines, and recommendations around quantum-safe cryptography are emerging across geographies. Early adopters of quantum-safe practices will be better positioned to meet future regulatory requirements.

• Market and Competitive Pressures: Early movers in quantum-safe security will position themselves as leaders in innovation, attracting customers and partners who value long-term security.

The Business Risks Cybersecurity Leaders Must Communicate

When engaging your board, it's essential that business and cybersecurity leaders think in terms of risk, impact, and return on investment. Quantum-safe migration is not just about avoiding a distant technological threat—it’s about mitigating strategic business risks in the long-term. The key points to communicate with the board include:

• Data Breaches and Financial Exposure: Data breaches resulting from quantum-enabled attacks could be catastrophic, leading to reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and financial losses. The transition to post-quantum cryptography reduces these risks.

Key Message for the Board: “By proactively moving toward quantum-safe solutions, we reduce our exposure to quantum-based attacks, avoiding potential breach costs that could reach millions, depending on the organization’s size, type and industry.”

• Regulatory Non-Compliance: Boards need to understand that regulatory bodies are in the process of mandating quantum-safe standards with region-specific nuances. Organizations that are slow to adopt could face legal and compliance risks that threaten their operational capabilities and financial health.

Key Message for the Board: “Timely adoption of quantum-safe technologies ensures we stay ahead of emerging compliance mandates, avoiding costly fines and legal risks.”

• Long-Term Cost Savings and Future-Proofing: Migrating to quantum-safe cryptography now may require an upfront investment, but it will yield long-term cost savings by reducing the need for reactive crisis management in the future and potentially reducing the cost of insurance premiums. Additionally, aligning this migration with other transformation projects can create efficiencies that drive down overall costs.

Key Message for the Board: “Incorporating quantum-safe migration into our current transformation and infrastructure upgrade initiatives will save critical dollars by avoiding duplicated and refactoring efforts in the future.”

Turning Quantum-Safe Migration into a Strategic Opportunity

While the risks are clear, quantum-safe migration also presents strategic opportunities for organizations. The key benefits that resonate with the board include:

• Enhancing Reputation and Trust: By prioritizing quantum-safe migration, your organization demonstrates a commitment to innovation and security. This can enhance trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders, positioning the organization as a market leader and forward-thinking company.

Key Message for the Board: “Leading the way in quantum-safe security differentiates us from competitors and builds trust with customers and investors who value long-term security.”

• Attracting and Retaining Customers: In industries like finance, automotive, telecom, healthcare, and defense, some leading organizations have already started exploring quantum-safe cryptography strategies and methods. By acting early, your organization can win the confidence of customers.

Key Message for the Board: “Our early adoption of quantum-safe cryptography will serve as a competitive differentiator, attracting high-value customers who prioritize long-term data security.”

• Building a Resilient Future: Quantum-safe migration is not just about protecting the present—it’s about building a resilient infrastructure that can weather future threats. A well-calibrated investment approach to quantum-safe solutions will significantly strengthen your organization’s future.

Key Message for the Board: “We are positioning our organization to withstand future quantum threats, ensuring the long-term stability and resilience of our business operations.”

Speaking the Language of the Board

The key to effective board engagement is to speak in business terms:

• Alignment with Business Objectives: Explain how quantum-safe migration ties into larger business goals and purposes like business strategy, risk management, regulatory compliance, cost savings, and market leadership.

• Concrete risk assessment: To effectively engage your board on quantum-safe migration, it's crucial to provide concrete risk assessments that illustrate the potential impact of quantum computing on your organization with specific examples and scenarios. This involves identifying critical assets that are most vulnerable to quantum attacks, such as sensitive data or intellectual property of specific systems. Develop scenario-based risk analyses that assess the potential risks of quantum-based attacks and their consequences.

• Resource requirements: Clearly outlining necessary resources requirements is vital for securing board approval and support for quantum-safe migration. It shall include indicative financial investments & timelines, talent acquisition, and technology requirements. By providing these details, you empower the board to engage and make informed decisions to prioritize allocation of investments, and support. Yes, it is difficult to provide detailed investment and timeline estimates at the early stages, and hence recommended to break down the whole migration into many manageable phases and work with the board on the expectations of those phases.

• Clear Metrics: Boards respond to data and metrics. Provide data and KPIs that matter, such as reduced risk exposure, customer acquisition or satisfaction metrics, potential cost savings and others as relevant to your organization.

• Risk Mitigation and Opportunity: Strike the right balance between the risks of inaction and the opportunity for competitive differentiation. Acting early mitigates future risks and drives business value.

Key Takeaways for Cybersecurity Leaders

For quantum-safe migration to become a priority at the board level, as a cybersecurity leader, it’s necessary to ensure the board is not only aware of the risks but also understands the strategic need and advantages of acting now. The decisions made today will determine how prepared your organization is for a post-quantum world.

By communicating clearly and in business terms, you can gain the funding and support needed to drive quantum-safe initiatives forward—ensuring your organization is not just prepared, but ahead of the curve.

Have you started the right conversations with your board about quantum-safe migration? The time to act is now.

Let’s connect to ensure your board understands the urgency of quantum threats—and the strategic advantages of addressing them early.