Remember when the most sophisticated security threat was your coworker peeking over your shoulder? Those were simpler times!
A New Era in Security
In today’s digital landscape, document/ information management systems handle our most sensitive information—from financial records to intellectual property. While current encryption standards protect these assets effectively, the emergence of quantum computing threatens to render these security measures obsolete.
Quantum computers possess the demonstrated capability to break widely-used encryption algorithms like RSA and ECC by solving complex mathematical problems in minutes that would take classical computers centuries to complete. For information management systems, this poses a fundamental security risk.
Why Long-Term Archives Are Most Vulnerable
Healthcare providers storing patient records and legal firms managing confidential case files operate under strict compliance requirements that mandate long-term data protection. Documents encrypted today using conventional methods could become vulnerable when quantum computers reach sufficient maturity—potentially within the next decade.
The risk is particularly acute for archived documents. Organizations typically maintain archives for decades—well beyond the expected timeline for quantum computing maturity. These archives often contain historically sensitive information such as intellectual property, strategic decisions, and confidential communications that must remain secure throughout their retention period. Without quantum-resistant encryption, these digital archives become vulnerable time capsules awaiting decryption once quantum computing power becomes sufficient.
Post-quantum encryption (PQE) algorithms offer a solution designed to withstand quantum attacks. These cryptographic techniques—including lattice-based, hash-based, and multivariate cryptography—resist the quantum algorithms that threaten current standards.
For document management specifically, implementing PQE creates several critical advantages: First, it ensures forward secrecy, protecting currently encrypted documents from future quantum attacks. Second, it provides crypto-agility—the capability to rapidly transition between encryption methods as vulnerabilities emerge. Third, it maintains compliance with evolving regulatory standards that will inevitably demand quantum-resistant protection.
For archival systems, PQE implementation requires special consideration. Organizations must develop strategies for efficiently re-encrypting vast stores of historical documents using quantum-resistant algorithms. This process, sometimes called “cryptographic hygiene,” should be prioritized for the most sensitive archived materials, particularly those with retention requirements extending decades into the future.
To begin PQE adoption, organizations should assess their cryptographic inventory, identifying where vulnerable algorithms exist within both their active document workflows and archival systems. They should then prioritize implementing hybrid approaches that combine conventional and post-quantum methods, ensuring compatibility while enhancing security.
Now is the time to act
The transition to quantum-resistant encryption for document management isn’t merely a technical upgrade—it’s an essential business continuity measure. Organizations must act now to implement PQE solutions before quantum computing advances further. Only those who proactively adopt quantum-resistant encryption will successfully maintain the confidentiality and integrity of their most sensitive information assets, whether actively used or preserved in long-term archives.
When quantum computing arrives in full force, only the prepared will keep their digital secrets actually, you know, SECRET. 😊