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With the rapid advancement of quantum computing technologies, traditional cryptographic systems are increasingly at risk, prompting urgent calls for organizations to adopt quantum-resistant cybersecurity strategies. Kevin Bocek, Senior Vice President of Innovation at CyberArk, is urging businesses across the Middle East to begin preparing now for the post-quantum era, emphasizing that the window to act is closing fast.

Quantum computing, once considered a distant threat, is now progressing at an accelerated pace, with breakthroughs in China and research from Google suggesting it may be capable of breaking today’s encryption systems even earlier than the projected 2029 timeline. This makes current encryption systems vulnerable to “harvest now, decrypt later” tactics, where cybercriminals steal encrypted data today in anticipation of decrypting it with quantum tools in the future.

Five Steps to Prepare for the Post-Quantum Era

Bocek outlines five practical, immediate steps Middle Eastern enterprises can take to safeguard their systems:

1. Run a Cryptographic Discovery Audit
   Identify where public key encryption is currently used across your organization. Visibility is the first step to building a secure post-quantum defense strategy.

2. Explore and Adopt PQC Standards
   In July 2024, NIST introduced the first three Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards. Organizations should assess and begin transitioning to these protocols, aiming to deprecate vulnerable systems within the next five years.

3. Segment Data and Encrypt in Layers
   Implement a defense-in-depth strategy by layering encryption. Even if one layer is compromised, additional layers remain in place to protect data—though this also increases the complexity of key management.

4. Plan for Crypto-Agility
   Future-proof your infrastructure by ensuring it can adapt quickly to changes in cryptographic algorithms and key management methods. Agility is critical in an evolving threat landscape.

5. Rotate Keys Frequently and Shorten Certificate Lifespans
   Regularly rotating encryption keys and reducing the duration of certificates narrows the window of vulnerability and enforces automated certificate management—a practice aligned with post-quantum resilience.

The Need for Urgent Action

“Quantum computing isn’t a distant threat anymore—it’s on the horizon,” said Kevin Bocek, highlighting the need for immediate enterprise-wide action. “Middle Eastern companies must take proactive steps today to ensure they are not caught off guard tomorrow.”

CyberArk, a leader in identity security and privileged access management, continues to support organizations worldwide in navigating complex security transitions, including the shift toward post-quantum cryptographic infrastructure.

As the countdown to the quantum age begins, early adoption of these security principles may define which organizations can adapt to future threats—and which ones are left vulnerable.

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