Artificial intelligence and quantum computing are reshaping the security landscape, and organizations are being forced to reckon with the realities of World Quantum Readiness Day as a turning point for preparing digital infrastructure.
The push for stronger safeguards underscores how quickly the timeline for disruptive change is collapsing. Enterprises are no longer debating whether quantum disruption will arrive, but how fast they must adapt their foundational trust systems. The challenge is not only technological, but also organizational, as leaders must balance short-term operations with long-term resilience. This shift has placed the concept of digital trust front and center, leading directly into one executive’s call for action, according to Amit Sinha (pictured), chief executive officer of DigiCert Inc.
DigiCert’s Amit Sinha speaks to theCUBE’s John Furrier about World Quantum Readiness Day.
“Moving to quantum is a huge change for organizations,” Sinha said. “Whenever people and organizations are faced with a big change, they usually go through the five stages of grief.”
Sinha spoke with theCUBE’s John Furrier as part of a fireside chat for the DigiCert World Quantum Readiness Day event, during an encore broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the urgent need for organizations to prepare for quantum computing by adopting post-quantum cryptography, modernizing certificate management and building digital trust ahead of the 2029 deadline. (* Disclosure below.)
World Quantum Readiness Day underscores urgency to act
Momentum is accelerating as major technology players release faster processors and chipsets, pushing businesses out of denial and into planning stages. The advance of hyperscalers, from Google LLC to Microsoft Corp. to Nvidia Corp., has highlighted the risks of lagging behind and the opportunities for those who move first, according to Sinha.
“More recently, if you look at all the hyperscalers, Google, Microsoft, AWS and more recently Nvidia and Cisco, they’ve all announced their bigger, faster, better quantum processors,” he said. “Where we are is in those early days of quantum computing but the rate at which advances are happening is staggering.”
The implications extend far beyond raw compute power. At stake are the cryptographic algorithms that protect authentication and encryption, with experts warning that existing standards could crumble in the face of quantum advances. The cost of inaction could be catastrophic, Sinha explained.
“We are still in the early days of quantum computing, but the rate of advance is very rapid and all the big tech firms are on this race for quantum supremacy,” he added. “It’s going to happen on an unpredictable timeline.”
The future of trust and cryptographic agility
The conversation is not just about threats, but also about readiness. Standards bodies such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology have finalized post-quantum cryptography algorithms, providing enterprises with a path forward. Early adopters, from messaging platforms to cloud vendors, are already deploying protections to guard against “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks.
“Post-quantum cryptography is here,” Sinha noted. “DigiCert has been working along with other cryptography experts. We’ve been collaborating with the [NIST] … these algorithms have been cooking for almost a decade.”
Certificate management is also undergoing profound change. Shrinking validity periods will force organizations to accelerate automation and embrace crypto agility. These operational shifts dovetail with quantum preparedness, ensuring that enterprises can dynamically swap keys and algorithms as standards evolve, according to Sinha.
“Apple and Google recently introduced a ballot that got approved, which is going to take certificates that are today issued for a year and shrink that to 47 days,” he said. “That’s a huge change … unless you modernize your PKI, unless you have a platform that can give you crypto agility, you’re not doing all of these things manually.”
Analysts have now drawn a timeline, with 2029 set as the deadline for retiring current cryptographic standards. This countdown is pushing enterprises to act now, knowing that even with aggressive planning, the scale of transition will test every part of their infrastructure, Sinha emphasized.
“The reason we are doing this [World] Quantum Readiness Day event is the reality is for most organizations, even if they start today, even if they drop a bunch of things, they’ll run out of time before they’re able to upgrade,” he said. “This is a once-in-a-generation upgrade to the core foundational PKI infrastructure, and we are here to help.”
Stay tuned for the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the DigiCert World Quantum Readiness Day event.
(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the DigiCert World Quantum Readiness Day event. Neither DigiCert Inc., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)
Photo: SiliconANGLE
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