Accelerating the quantum-safe timeline

The quantum-safe timeline has changed For years, planning for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) was framed as a future problem: important, inevitable, but distant. That perspective is evolving as technology advances and organizations prepare for the scale and complexity of the transition ahead. At Microsoft, we are acting on this shift by bringing our quantum-safe timeline forward so organizations can begin the transition earlier and with greater confidence. Advances in quantum research and development have shifted the risk horizon. We believe cryptographically relevant quantum computers could arrive sooner than previously expected —and the work required to prepare is significant so organizations need to start now. Recent government actions, including United States 1 and French 2 guidance to adopt quantum-safe cryptography as early as 2030 in certain high-risk systems, reflect the same conclusion: preparing for this transition is already underway. This is a recognition that the transition to quantum-safe cryptography is a multi-year engineering effort that benefits from early planning and action, and delaying that work increases both cost and risk. This reinforces our decision to bring the work forward. The quantum capabilities are accelerating. The time to respond is now. Learn more about post-quantum cryptography Accelerating our timeline In response to these shifts, we are accelerating the Microsoft Quantum Safe Program (QSP) timeline with the goal of transitioning critical products and services to PQC by 2029. We are also incorporating PQC requirements into our Secure Future Initiative (SFI). This brings quantum-safe readiness into the same disciplined engineering framework we use for other critical security outcomes: clear ownership, measurable milestones, and transparent progress. Embedding these capabilities into our platforms empowers customers to move sooner and more confidently. What “accelerating” means in practice Accelerating our timeline means pulling forward key engineering work so new standards can be adopted earlier and modernization can begin well ahead of broad quantum impact. Our priorities fall into three areas: 1. Upgrade network cryptography (data in transit) Modernizing network cryptography is a prerequisite for post-quantum adoption. As an example, adopting TLS 1.3 establishes a baseline that enables hybrid and post-quantum key exchange as standards mature. What this looks like : Critical endpoints negotiate TLS 1.3 by default, with legacy protocol use reduced or eliminated wherever possible. 2. Build crypto-agility for stored data (data at rest) Crypto-agility—the ability to change cryptography without redesigning systems—enables the safe, timely adoption of new cryptographic standards. This requires making cryptographic settings configurable outside of the application, standardizing key management and rotation, and eliminating hard-coded algorithms. What this looks like : Cryptographic algorithms can be updated with minim