HKCert Urges Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Migration to Address “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” Risk

August 23, 2026

HKCert Hong Kong

Overview

HKCert is urging organizations to initiate preparations for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) due to the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” risk, where adversaries could store encrypted communications today for future quantum decryption. International cybersecurity authorities recommend a staged approach focusing on cryptographic inventory, risk assessment, and migration planning. Global timelines for PQC readiness are tightening, with the EU planning to begin coordinating member states’ transitions by the end of 2026 and critical infrastructure migration by the end of 2030.

In Depth

Key Findings

HKCert is strongly advocating that organizations immediately commence preparations for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) migration to address the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” threat. This threat arises from the potential for future quantum computers to easily decrypt currently encrypted communications, highlighting an urgent need to secure data against future quantum attacks.

Technical & Strategic Details

The “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” risk refers to malicious actors intercepting and storing currently encrypted communications, with the intent of decrypting them using the immense computational power of future quantum computers. This threat is particularly severe for data requiring long-term confidentiality, such as national secrets, personal information, and intellectual property. In response, international cybersecurity authorities recommend a staged strategic approach to PQC migration. Key steps include, firstly, creating a “cryptographic inventory” to identify all cryptographic assets (encryption technologies used in systems, applications, and protocols) within an organization. Secondly, conducting a “risk assessment” to evaluate how identified cryptographic assets are exposed to quantum computer threats. Finally, developing and executing a “migration plan” to replace current cryptography with new, quantum-resistant algorithms, such as those being standardized by NIST. Notably, the European Union (EU) has set a concrete timeline, planning to begin coordinating member states’ PQC transitions by the end of 2026 and aiming to complete critical infrastructure migration by the end of 2030, indicating that global PQC readiness is accelerating rapidly.

Background & Industry Context

Modern digital infrastructure heavily relies on public-key cryptosystems like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). However, these cryptographic methods have been theoretically proven to be efficiently broken by quantum algorithms, such as Shor’s algorithm. The advent of practical, large-scale quantum computers fundamentally threatens the security of this encrypted information, making the development and deployment of PQC a global top priority. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is progressing with the standardization of PQC algorithms, and major corporations and government agencies have already begun formulating their migration strategies.

Strategic Significance & Outlook

The transition to PQC is not merely a technical upgrade but requires a large-scale strategic undertaking across organizations. HKCert’s warning highlights the urgency of this issue. With deadlines approaching, enterprises and government agencies must accelerate the discovery of cryptographic assets, prioritization, and development of migration plans. PQC implementation will be a complex process, involving extensive changes to hardware, software, and protocols, likely taking several years. However, successfully navigating this transition will enable the protection of digital information from future quantum threats and usher in a new era of cybersecurity. PQC will be an indispensable investment to maintain the trust and security of our digital society.

Source: https://www.hkcert.org/blog/why-post-quantum-cryptography-matters-preparing-today-for-tomorrow-s-security-challenges

Get our weekly technology intelligence — free

Receive an infographic that lets you judge at a glance whether each field’s analysis report is worth reading.

Subscribe Free — Weekly Tech Intelligence

By subscribing, you’ll receive Troy-Technical’s weekly technology intelligence newsletter.