Somewhere right now, someone is stealing files they can’t read yet. It’s called “harvest now, decrypt later”, i.e., steal the encrypted data today, and then crack it open once a quantum computer can. IBM Institute for Business Value surveyed 565 CxOs across 15 countries and 13 industries to see how ready businesses are for that day. The average score: 21 out of 100.

The math doesn’t work. Organizations expect a full migration to quantum-safe cryptography to take 12 years. Yet, in this report done by GSMA and IBM, over 40% of financial firms need their data confidential for 25 years or more, meaning today's encryption may not last long enough. The top 10% aren't waiting: 88% actively assess their readiness, and 82% already run crypto-agility programs. They also outperform peers on agility, profitability and digital transformation.

Download the report to learn how to:

• Know your data’s shelf life. Some data needs to stay secret for 25 years or more, longer than the 12-year migration timeline. Classify by lifespan, not just sensitivity.
• Inventory your cryptography first. You can’t protect what you haven’t mapped, and it’s the heaviest-weighted category in the readiness index.
• Build in crypto-agility from day one. 82% of Quantum-Safe Champions can already swap encryption standards without ripping out infrastructure.
• Make this a board issue, not a CISO memo. The same Champions align cybersecurity and business strategy 84% of the time, twice the laggards. The NSA mandates compliance by 2035.
• Check your suppliers, not just yourself. “Our safety is only as strong as the weakest link in our partnerships,” says Nationwide’s Paul Ballard.
• Start building talent now. Cryptography talent is scarce. Champions train internally rather than wait to hire it.
• Pace it like a marathon. Move too slow, and you’ll scramble later. Champions that started early are up to five times more resilient.