Quantum computers are not yet breaking today’s encryption. But the security decisions organisations make now will determine how resilient they are in the future.
That is the main message behind Meta’s recent blog on its post-quantum cryptography migration. The company shares lessons from its own transition towards encryption methods designed to withstand future quantum computers, offering a framework that can help organisations understand where they stand, what needs to happen next, and how to move towards post-quantum readiness in a structured way.
For Belgium, this is a signal for industry, research, government and technology leaders to start aligning on a shared roadmap for quantum-safe infrastructure.
What is post-quantum cryptography, and why is it relevant?
Post-quantum cryptography, or PQC, refers to cryptographic methods designed to remain secure even when powerful quantum computers become available.
Today, much of our digital security relies on public-key cryptography. This protects everything from online banking and government communication to cloud systems, healthcare data, industrial platforms and private messaging. But future quantum computers could undermine many of these systems.
The risk is not only in the future. Meta highlights the threat of “store now, decrypt later” attacks. This means adversaries could collect encrypted data today and decrypt it years from now, once quantum capabilities are strong enough.
For any organisation handling long-lived or sensitive data, that creates a good reason to act early.
Meta’s key contribution: PQC migration levels
One of the most useful takeaways from Meta’s blog is its proposed framework of PQC migration levels. Instead of treating post-quantum migration as a single technical switch, Meta presents it as a maturity ladder.
At the lowest level, an organisation may be PQ-unaware, meaning it has not yet assessed the quantum threat. From there, it can move towards being PQ-aware, PQ-ready, PQ-hardened and ultimately PQ-enabled, where post-quantum protections are actively implemented and deployed.
PQC migration requires inventory, prioritisation, vendor alignment, implementation, testing and governance. For many organisations, simply knowing where they stand is the first step in the right direction.
Why it makes a difference for Belgium
Belgium has real potential to approach the quantum transition proactively rather than reactively. As quantum technologies develop, post-quantum security will become increasingly relevant for sectors where Belgium already has strong strategic assets: finance, logistics, health, defence, government, manufacturing, telecoms, research and critical infrastructure.
PQC migration connects technology, policy, procurement, legal risk, vendor management, research and education. It requires shared language and shared urgency among the full ecosystem.
That is really the kind of challenge Quantum Circle was created to support: bringing Belgium’s quantum stakeholders together to create awareness, and above all, action.
What Belgian organisations can learn from Meta’s approach
Meta’s framework offers several lessons that are directly relevant for organisations in Belgium.
- Start with a cryptographic inventory. Organisations need to know where cryptography is used throughout systems, products and infrastructure before they can understand their exposure.
- Prioritise the highest-risk use cases. Systems vulnerable to “store now, decrypt later” attacks should receive early attention, especially when they protect sensitive data with a long confidentiality lifetime.
- Prepare for external dependencies. PQC migration depends on standards, hardware support, software libraries, vendors and implementation maturity. Organisations cannot solve all of this alone, which makes collaboration vital.
- Build guardrails. It is not enough to migrate existing systems. Organisations should also avoid creating new dependencies on cryptography that may become quantum-vulnerable.
- Think in phases. Meta states that this is a multi-year transition. The goal is not panic, but preparedness.
Read on
Meta’s full article offers a detailed look at its migration framework, maturity levels, technical dependencies and implementation lessons. For anyone working on cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, policy, research or quantum strategy, it is a valuable read.
