The future of digital trust is being rewritten before our eyes. That was the resounding message from the recent webinar, “Quantum Threats and PKI: Securing the Future of Your Digital Trust”, hosted on August 14th by 3Cs Aquarah Limited in collaboration with DigiCert.
For decades, public key infrastructure (PKI) and cryptographic algorithms like RSA and ECC have been the foundation of online security. They are the invisible trust anchors behind everything from online banking and e-commerce to secure email and cloud services. But as moderator Peter Uka reminded attendees, cryptography has always evolved in response to emerging threats. From the Caesar cipher in ancient times to RSA in the late 1970s, history shows that no system remains unchallenged forever. Today, Quantum Computing is the disruptor. “We’re heading straight for a major shake-up to the current cryptographic world order,” he warned. And the threat isn’t theoretical—attackers may already be harvesting encrypted data, waiting for quantum capabilities to mature and decrypt it.
The discussion quickly moved from awareness to action. Obi Mojekwu, CEO of 3Cs Aquarah, emphasised that quantum readiness is no longer just a technical concern, it’s a strategic imperative. “Staying ahead of these emerging threats is not just a technical necessity anymore, it’s a strategic advantage,” he said, urging organisations to treat quantum preparedness as a competitive edge, not merely a compliance checkbox. In a digital economy where trust is currency, being proactive could mean the difference between resilience and irrelevance.
From DigiCert’s perspective, Neill Burton, VP of Trust Solutions, highlighted why PKI is now central to digital resilience. For years, PKI was considered a “back-office” function: critical, but often overlooked. That perception is changing fast. Burton identified four forces reshaping the security landscape: shrinking certificate lifecycles, looming quantum disruption, the explosion of non-human identities such as IoT devices, and the challenge of verifying AI-generated content. Each of these trends is disruptive on its own, together, they form a perfect storm. His advice was clear: “Post-quantum is not something to put off. Harvest now, decrypt later is real.”
Alistair Scott, DigiCert Trust Specialist, provided a practical roadmap for organisations unsure where to start. With Gartner projecting RSA and ECC to be obsolete by 2029, waiting is no longer an option. The first step, he stressed, is visibility: “Without visibility on where crypto is used, you do not know what to replace.” Discovery is the foundation for resilience. From there, organisations must embrace crypto agility—the ability to adapt cryptographic tools and processes rapidly as standards evolve. Unlike past shifts in cryptography, where algorithms lasted for decades, the post-quantum world will demand frequent and flexible transitions.
The panel also addressed a common misconception: that only large enterprises need to worry. Scott countered, “No one is exempt. Even a small shop taking card payments will need to be quantum secure.” Burton added that small businesses may actually pivot faster than heavily regulated enterprises, giving them a unique advantage. For SMEs, quantum readiness may sound daunting, but the reality is that tools and solutions are increasingly accessible and scalable.
Regulators are also stepping up. Onyinye Daniel Onyekpeze from Nigeria’s CERT noted that while earlier national strategies only flagged “future threats” in broad terms, updated frameworks will prioritize quantum risks. “Preparation is always key,” he said, referencing global efforts from NIST in the U.S., the NSA, and the UK’s NCSC. Regulation, he explained, cannot solve the challenge alone but plays a crucial role in setting standards, guiding adoption, and ensuring accountability across sectors.
The overarching message from all speakers was unmistakable: quantum readiness is not a luxury or a distant concern. As Gideon Aniechi, CTO of 3Cs Aquarah, put it, “The time to start preparing is now. Security is no longer a nice-to-have, but a mandatory necessity.”
The event concluded with a call for cross-industry collaboration. Mojekwu summed it up powerfully: “It’s no longer a distant future, it’s a rapidly approaching reality. With foresight, collaboration, and innovation, we can build resilient systems that stand the test of time.”
Quantum disruption may be inevitable—but being unprepared is not. Organisations that begin today by discovering their cryptographic assets, automating certificate management, and partnering with the right experts will be the ones that lead with confidence in the post-quantum era. The lesson is clear: those who start now will shape the future of digital trust, rather than scramble to catch up when disruption arrives.
3 Key Takeaways from the Webinar
- Start preparing today. Quantum disruption is inevitable, but preparation isn’t. Discover where your cryptographic assets are and build a migration plan.
- Crypto agility is critical. The future will require frequent transitions in cryptography- organisations must be ready to adapt quickly as standards evolve.
- No one is exempt. From small businesses to global enterprises, every organisation that handles data, payments, or digital identities must plan for a post-quantum world.
