Security in the quantum era – a strategic task for CIOs and CISOs with the support of AI

Quantum computing seemed like a distant, futuristic concept for a long time. Today, however, it is clear that quantum capabilities will arrive sooner than we thought: McKinsey predicts that by 2027, it will be possible to break the public key encryption widely used today, while Gartner estimates that by 2029, classic asymmetric cryptography will become completely unreliable. This makes the "harvest now, decrypt later" type of threat—that is, collecting data now for later quantum decryption—a real and immediate risk. The lesson for CIOs and CISOs is that they cannot wait until the technology is fully mature: preparations must begin now, otherwise they will suffer a strategic disadvantage.

Visibility and legacy systems: the first practical steps

The first step in preparation is visibility. Legacy tools provided at best a snapshot of the cryptography we use but did not show how it relates to business-critical data. The Strata Cloud Manager Quantum Readiness view and Cryptographic Inventory dashboard, on the other hand, provide a complete picture of the state of the encryption environment and, more importantly, enable immediate action. For CIOs, this means that it is not just an IT problem, but also a business risk, which requires a decision support tool.

The next challenge that every CISO faces is the issue of legacy systems. In most organizations, it is not realistic to modernize all applications and systems immediately. That is why I consider the introduction of the cipher translation proxy in PAN-OS 12.1, which is capable of translating classic cryptography into quantum-secure cryptography and back, to be extremely important. This allows critical legacy systems to remain secure without disrupting operations. For a CIO, this means protecting investments, and for a CISO, it means reducing risks.

Multi-layered protection: PQC, QKD, and next-generation infrastructure

However, quantum security cannot be built on a single layer. Although PQC (post-quantum cryptography) algorithms – including ML-KEM, ML-DSA, and SLH-DSA standardized by NIST – form the basis for the future, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) provides a second line of defense. PAN-OS 12.1 is already capable of QKD integration with ETSI 014 protocol support, so the combination of PQC and QKD provides true multi-layered protection. The investment not only addresses current problems, but also secures the organization's security position in the long term.

However, a quantum-secure world requires enormous computing power. The new, quantum-optimized 5th generation NGFWs (such as the PA-5500 series) come with up to 256 cores, 400 Gbps interfaces, and dedicated ASIC acceleration. At the CIO level, this is clearly an investment in the infrastructure of the future, and at the CISO level, it is a guarantee that the cryptographic transition will not paralyze the network.

The strategic role of AI in quantum security

And there is another factor that CIOs and CISOs cannot ignore: artificial intelligence. Palo Alto Networks' Precision AI® platform combines machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI to continuously monitor and analyze the network. AI can identify anomalies in real time, predict potential attacks, and respond to them automatically. For CIOs, this means that AI helps optimize resources and enables faster decision-making. For CISOs, it means that threats must be addressed not only defensively, but proactively. AI does not replace human expertise but elevates it to a strategic level—while relieving us of the burden of routine tasks.

Quantum security as a competitive advantage

Overall, the quantum threat is not a problem for the distant future, but a strategic issue for the present. It is the CIO's responsibility to build a future-proof infrastructure for the organization, and the CISO's responsibility to proactively manage security risks. Visibility, cipher translation proxies, a combination of PQC and QKD, next-generation hardware, and AI-powered intelligence all contribute to helping organizations not only survive the quantum era, but also turn it into a competitive advantage.

We see it this way, that those who take the first steps now will not only build protection, but also gain a leading role in the digital world. Quantum security is not a one-off project, but a long journey – and it is up to CIOs and CISOs to decide whether their organizations will move forward or fall behind on this journey.