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The Short Long Story
Q-Day describes the day quantum computers can break today's encryption which is estimated to be 2030. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has released its Planning for Post-Quantum (PQC) Cryptography guide. It's a win-win outcome adopting the PQC standards regardless of your viewpoint on quantum computers and their capabilities. This is not a niche area: Google, Oracle, RMIT, ASD and NIST are addressing it. Ambit from American Binary is a compliant PQC VPN that's ready to protect your data in transit now from Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL) attacks.
Upgrade to PQC because HNDL is Not HODL
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards matter a lot for valuable data in transit. If what you send is sensitive now or must stay secret for the next decade it's already exposed to a threat that exists today: the Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL) attack. Do not mistake HNDL for HODL although your adversary will happily HODL onto your encrypted data until they can read it.
HNDL is simple: an attacker intercepts your encrypted data in transit and stores it. Data in transit is a soft spot because both parties assume that even if it's intercepted, it stays safe. It doesn't. Once quantum computers arrive, or the encryption is just broken, the archive is decrypted and read at the hackers leisure. Eventually every harvested secret - defence designs, IP, financial data, health records, strategic plans - become an open book. Maybe even valuable training data for AI models. Quantum computing only shortens the wait between collecting and decrypting; it isn't strictly required for an HDNL attack.
Yesterday's safe encryption standard is tomorrow's example of a broken standard that unlocks data collected under an HDNL attack. To solve this problem now American Binary built the PQC compliant VPN Ambit.
For the Camp that thinks this Quantum Stuff is Rubbish
The quantum capabilities and the HDNL attack does not require belief, it requires implementing a solution that gives a win-win outcome.
Even if you're not convinced about quantum computing it still doesn't change the maths. Encryption standards have always been broken eventually and quantum computing is just the next tool that will be used. The HNDL attack doesn't even require quantum computing. It just requires that an encryption standard is broken. Upgrading to a PQC VPN like Ambit from American Binary is a win-win deal. If the quantum computing arrives, you're protected; if it takes longer or fails, you're still protected and you've lost nothing and met the mandate anyway.
Since the ASD strongly advises migrating by 2030 making the switch and upgrading to a PQC compliant standard is a no-regrets call. Ambit from American Binary is a PQC compliant VPN that lets you move with the standards and secures you data in transit today.
High Level PQC Transition Timeline in Australia
Below is the high-level transition timeline from the ASD's Planning for Post-Quantum Cryptography guide for Australian Organisations. The rapid transition highlights the importance of implementing PQC sooner rather than later.
- Create PQC transition plan - By end of 2026: The transition plan should account for organisations’ security goals, risk tolerances, dependencies and the value of their data.
- Commence PQC transition - By end of 2028: Commenced transition to PQC, starting with critical systems and data. Prioritising critical functions, highly sensitive, classified or long-lived confidentiality requirements. Get started on updating difficult or time consuming areas.
- Complete PQC transition - By end of 2030: Organisations should have completed their PQC transition.
More information is available in Guidelines for Cryptography and ISM manual from the ASD. Ambit can get you started on the PQC transition today.
The Broad Strokes of Getting Started with PQC
From the ASD's Planning for Post-Quantum Cryptography, organisations are encouraged to consider the LATICE framework when undertaking their PQC transition. LATICE outlines the 5 high-level phases of the PQC transition:
- Locate and inventory the use of traditional asymmetric cryptography.
- Assess the value and sensitivity of systems and data protected by traditional asymmetric cryptography.
- Triage systems using traditional asymmetric cryptography and prioritise individual systems for transition.
- Implement post-quantum cryptographic algorithms throughout systems.
- Communicate with vendors and stakeholders, and educate and train relevant stakeholders on the PQC transition.
Ambit Gets You Started with PQC
Ambit, by American Binary, is a quantum-secure VPN built on PQC standards. Ambit is not retrofitted to the standards. It focuses on data in transit as this is the fastest place to close the HNDL attack threat now and in the future. Ambit is:
- 100% CNSA 2.0 compliant covering all 4 key components: Pure post-quantum key exchange, hashing, authentication and bulk encryption
- Crypto-agile by design, so it evolves as guidance changes rather than being re-engineered each time
- Hardened endpoints
- Formally verified by peer-reviewed symbolic proof
- Architecture support of: P2P, Hub and Spoke, Mesh, Access, Cloud, DataCentre, Segmentation
- More product features here
The important point is to get started now. American Binary's PQC compliant VPN Ambit is designed to make it easy and to help you mitigate HDNL attacks now.
For the Decision-Maker
It's an easy decision with Ambit from American Binary. A product that combines: PQC compliance, cryptographic-agility, and mathematical proof rather than assurance turns "we should look at post-quantum" into "we've protected our most sensitive traffic." Ambit will let you update to changes in standards without have to put in a new product.
For Resellers and MSPs
The ASD timeline of 2026, 2028 and 2030 is a live sales conversation you can have now with every client that holds sensitive data. Leading with data-in-transit which is the clearest, most immediate exposure. For you and your clients you can turn an abstract 2030 mandate into a concrete project you can scope, deliver starting today.
Contact Us
A real immediate first step is available with American Binary's PQC VPN Ambit by contacting to OneDot61. The quantum threat on the horizon and the HDNL attack reverses the cause and effect chain: the damage is set in motion (data is collected) before the weapon exists (Quantum computers or encryption cracked). Contact OneDot61.