Strategic Risk Management: Tips for Aligning Cryptography with Business Goals

We get it. You’re already juggling more cybersecurity concerns than ever: ransomware, third-party breaches, AI threats, supply chain disruptions, board-level scrutiny, tightening regulations — the list is long and ever-growing.

With so many urgent issues demanding attention, it’s understandable that future risks can feel like tomorrow’s problem. But some of the most consequential issues — like the quantum computing threat to your organization’s encryption — are already in motion. Cryptographic risk is no longer just an IT concern, it impacts the whole organization and its mission. And quantum computing is quickly becoming a business risk that CISOs must prioritize, as a breach today could quietly set the stage for data exposure once large-scale quantum computers arrive.

That’s why cryptographic risk and quantum readiness must be part of today’s risk management conversations.

Addressing these issues starts with a mindset shift — seeing cryptography not as buried infrastructure, but as a core business enabler and a foundation for resilience in a post quantum world.

Cryptography: The Hidden Engine of Trust and Resilience
Cryptography quietly protects everything from digital payments and sensitive communications to user accounts, access controls, and secure software updates. It helps ensure product integrity and that organizations are meeting compliance obligations. But as businesses accelerate innovation — scaling through cloud adoption, AI, M&As, and organic expansion — many are still relying on legacy cryptographic systems built for a simpler era.

When cryptographic strategies fail to keep pace with business transformation, the risks aren’t always immediately visible, but they are real. Outdated algorithms, unmanaged keys, and unknown crypto assets create hidden vulnerabilities that can jeopardize compliance, customer trust, and operational continuity.

And when quantum computers arrive, those vulnerabilities will become even more serious, unless quantum security is part of your organization’s plan today.

Quantum Security Isn’t a Future Problem, It’s a Now Problem
While large-scale quantum computers don’t yet exist, the risks they pose to encryption do.

Quantum computers will be capable of breaking widely used cryptographic methods like RSA and ECC — the very algorithms protecting your organization today. That’s why governments and standards bodies are urging organizations to act now. For example, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security offers guidelines and steps to help manage the risks associated with quantum computing advancements, and urges organizations to start planning.

The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) recently standardized several PQC algorithms and the US Congress has passed the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act requiring federal agencies to begin preparing for the migration to quantum safe algorithms. The current guidance from NIST is that RSA and ECC algorithms will be deprecated by 2030 and disallowed by 2035.

It is widely believed that well-resourced threat actors are already harvesting large amounts of encrypted data with the intent of decrypting it when quantum computers mature — a technique known as the "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" (HNDL) attack. Although these threat actors are likely being somewhat selective with how they target and filter the data they intend to decrypt, it does mean that your data may already be at risk, even if you don’t realize it yet. 

Even though the earliest targets of HNDL attacks will likely be particularily high-value targets, a risk-averse assumption is that all captured data will be decrypted eventually; especially as quantum computing could scale rapidly after the first generation of cryptography-breaking quantum computers arrive. Importantly, there are several publicly-known initiatives whereby mass amounts of network data have been captured and stored (e.g., through NSA’s SIGINT operations or the UK’s Tempora program), and it is reasonable to assume that other entities have similar capabilities. 

And if you’re an organization such as a government agency, critical infrastructure supplier, or financial institution, your data can be especially attractive for quantum-enabled threat actors. A 2025 survey sponsored by Accenture Federal Services investigated how technology decision-makers within the US government are experiencing and interacting with quantum computing. One of the conclusions of this survey was that these decision makers do not consider quantum threats to only be a long term issue. Specifically, "Survey results show that 57% of respondents expect quantum threats to manifest within the next 2-5 years, while 17% see quantum-related security risks as a concern within the next two years."  

Why Cryptographic Risk Needs to Be a C-Suite Issue
Cryptographic risk isn’t only an IT issue. Like all areas of cybersecurity, it’s a business issue, one with broad implications across:

  • Product development
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Cloud migrations
  • Risk management
  • Board scrutiny
  • Company growth
  • Customer trust
  • M&A due diligence
  • Supply chain integrity

When encryption silently degrades or fails altogether, the consequences extend far beyond the security team — from legal fallout and compliance fines to lost customer confidence and operational disruptions. But when quantum-safe encryption is proactively prioritized and managed, cryptography becomes a business advantage — reinforcing trust, enabling secure innovation, and positioning your organization as a leader in digital resilience.

As the World Economic Forum states, "Bold and forward-leaning organizations are already working on ensuring a smooth and secure transition into the quantum era, reaping the benefits of an early transition, whilst mitigating the risk of data exposure in future."

3 Tips to Align Cryptographic Strategy with Business Goals

  1. Expand Your Crypto Footprint as the Business Grows. 
Growth brings complexity. As your organization evolves, your cryptographic infrastructure must scale with it. That starts with visibility: know where your crypto lives, monitor for risk, and update systems to keep encryption aligned with business changes. Keeping your cryptographic infrastructure aligned with business changes is critical — and increasingly, that means building crypto agility and planning for quantum-safe upgrades.

  2. Prioritize Crypto Risk Based on Business Impact
. 
    Don’t just evaluate cryptographic issues based on technical severity. Consider the business consequences. Classify business assets in terms of:

    Sensitivity: How much damage would the business suffer if this data was exfiltrated?
    Retention: How long does this data need to stay confidential?
    Exposure: Does the system have publicly-exposed endpoints?  

    For example, what happens if your most sensitive data — trade secrets, financial records, customer information — is decrypted in the future because it was harvested today? How would that affect your brand, your operations, or your bottom line? Focus your investments where the risk is greatest. In other words, invest in protections where they matter most. That includes building a quantum threat model, conducting cryptographic inventories, and preparing a migration roadmap that addresses both current and quantum-era risks.

  3. Turn Cryptography into a Trust Advantage. 
Strong encryption isn’t just a security control; it’s a trust signal. Customers, partners, investors, stakeholders, and regulators are watching. Demonstrating that your organization is proactive about addressing cryptographic risk will not only strengthen your security infrastructure, but it will show your commitment to long-term resilience and strengthen stakeholder confidence.

Strategic Cryptographic Risk Management Is Foundational
Managing cryptographic risk — and preparing for quantum security — isn’t a "nice to have." It’s foundational. Aligning your cryptographic posture with your business strategy helps safeguard what matters most, builds resilience into your operations, and sets your organization apart as a forward-thinking leader in security and trust.

At ISARA, we help organizations navigate the complexities of cryptographic transformations with purpose-built tools for quantum readiness. Whether you are just starting to think about quantum security — or want to — we’re here to help.

Let’s get your organization quantum ready.