What is Post-Quantum Cryptography?
PQC protects data from the power of future quantum computers, machines capable of breaking today’s RSA, ECDH, and ECDSA encryption in minutes. As mandates like OMB M-23-02 and NSM-10 make PQC readiness a national priority, every organization must inventory and replace vulnerable algorithms before quantum decryption becomes a reality.
Why Cryptographic Visibility Matters
- Most organizations do not have a complete inventory of the cryptography inside their software, devices, or third-party components.
- Expired certificates and exposed or weak cryptographic keys often exist inside binary packages, not in SBOMs derived solely from source code.
- Some enterprise data has a long security lifespan, especially government-regulated data, meaning quantum-vulnerable cryptography must be replaced well before quantum attacks become practical.
- Attackers may harvest encrypted data now, knowing it can be decrypted later with future quantum capabilities.
- Long-lived and embedded systems are the hardest to upgrade because they rely on inaccessible firmware and legacy components, making them the most critical to secure for PQC compliance.
Federal guidance such as NSM-10, OMB M-23-02, and CISA’s Quantum Readiness factsheet highlight the urgency, but the need for cryptographic visibility applies across every software supply chain.
Why Binary Analysis Is the Missing Layer
All four approaches miss the most important source of truth: the actual cryptographic implementation embedded in the compiled binary.
Binary Composition Analysis (BCA) reveals:
- Deprecated algorithms
- Hardcoded keys
- Public/private key pairs
- Expired certificates
- Unused but still-shipped crypto
- Cryptographic libraries with vulnerable defaults
- Whether an artifact is reachable through OS-level interaction
Will Your Cryptography Stand Up to the Post-Quantum World?
“Harvest now, decrypt later” makes PQC urgent: Encrypted data captured today can become readable later—especially for long-retention PII/PHI and mission records. OMB M-23-02 and CNSA 2.0 timelines are making PQC readiness measurable. NetRise helps teams find quantum-vulnerable cryptography across deployed software, prioritize what’s in scope, and report progress with repeatable outputs.
- Inventory cryptographic assets across deployed software and firmware
- See what’s quantum-vulnerable at a glance: findings are labeled Classical vs. PQC across certificates and keys, with a “Quantum Capable” indicator where applicable.
- Prioritize what to modernize—or remove—based on quantum risk, data shelf-life, and system longevity
- Report readiness with standardized outputs: exec-ready readiness report + CycloneDX-aligned, machine-readable CBOM
PQC readiness starts with knowing which cryptography won’t hold up.
Analysis of all artifacts in the binary software or firmware is the only way to surface crypto as it actually exists in the shipped, deployed artifact.
Binary analysis is central to readiness for PQC compliance.
Learn how the NetRise Platform analyzes firmware, binaries, containers, and embedded software to uncover vulnerable algorithms.
What Binary Analysis Reveals
Cryptography Across Real-World Software Artifacts
Complete Cryptographic Material Extraction
SBOM Correlation
Cryptographic Analysis in NetRise Today
In analyzing binary images, NetRise reveals cryptographic artifacts such as detected certificates and public/private key pairs. The results show the scale and depth of algorithms that will be increasingly vulnerable as quantum computing becomes mainstream.
What This Means for PQC Compliance Readiness
The practical challenge of PQC Compliance readiness is discovering all the classical cryptography that must be replaced or modernized.
Organizations must:
- Locate and classify vulnerable algorithms
- Understand where cryptography is used in practice
- Prioritize long-lived assets
- Validate vendor claims
- Correlate SBOMs with binary reality
- Prepare a readiness strategy for PQC
Further Reading & Guidance
For organizations considering post-quantum readiness — across government, industry, and device ecosystems — the following resources outline the evolving expectations and timelines for PQC adoption:
- Quantum Readiness: Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography Factsheet (CISA + NIST + NSA)
- OMB Memo M-23-02 – Migrating to Post-Quantum Cryptography (OMB)
- National Security Memorandum-10 – Promoting U.S. Leadership in Quantum Computing While Mitigating Risks to Vulnerable Cryptographic Systems (White House)
- NetRise PQC Report
Post-quantum readiness begins with understanding your cryptographic footprint. Visibility into the binaries you ship and deploy gives you the clarity to plan, prioritize, and execute a successful PQC transition.
Ready to See the NetRise Platform?
PQC compliance starts with knowing what’s vulnerable. See how NetRise delivers cryptographic insight across firmware, software, and embedded systems.