The rapid progression of **Quantum Computing** poses an existential threat to the cryptographic security underpinning all modern financial transactions, including those settled through RTGS, SWIFT, and digital currencies. Shor's Algorithm, specifically, threatens to break the public-key cryptography (e.g., RSA, ECC) essential for digital signatures, authentication, and secure communication. This highly specialized course provides a critical assessment of the quantum risk landscape, focusing on its implications for the long-term integrity of payment finality and confidential data. Participants will learn to evaluate the necessary transition to **Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)**, understand the standardization efforts by bodies like NIST, and develop a strategic, multi-year migration plan to ensure the future resilience of critical financial market infrastructures (FMIs) before a "quantum event" materializes.
Quantum Computing Risks to Cryptographic Security of Payments
Banking, Insurance and Financial Services
November 30, 2025
Introduction
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the basic principles of **Quantum Computing** and how algorithms like Shor's pose a risk to current public-key cryptography.
- Identify all critical points of **cryptographic exposure** within the organization's payment systems (RTGS, SWIFT, interbank communication).
- Analyze the candidates for **Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)** (e.g., Lattice-based, Code-based) and their security/performance trade-offs.
- Develop a comprehensive **Quantum Risk Assessment** and a strategic roadmap for the PQC migration ("crypto-agility").
- Understand the role and status of international PQC standardization efforts (e.g., NIST competition).
- Evaluate the operational and infrastructure challenges of implementing a PQC solution across large, complex systems.
- Assess the specific quantum risks to central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and digital signatures.
- Formulate a robust **crypto-resilience governance** framework to manage the quantum transition.
Target Audience
- Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Heads of IT Security.
- Payment Systems Architects and Core Banking Infrastructure Managers.
- Heads of Risk Management and Technology Risk.
- Policy Makers and Strategists for Financial Market Infrastructure (FMI) Resilience.
- Internal Auditors focused on Cyber and Technology Risk.
- Compliance Officers dealing with Data Confidentiality and Integrity.
Methodology
- Quantum Risk Assessment Workshop and Threat Scenario Simulation
- Group Activities on Designing a PQC Migration Roadmap for an RTGS System
- Case Studies on Global PQC Standardization and Early Adopter Challenges
- Expert Lectures on PQC Algorithm Families and Performance Benchmarks
- Discussions on Interbank Coordination and Vendor Management for PQC
- Individual Assignments on Inventorying and Prioritizing Cryptographic Assets for Migration
Personal Impact
- Acquisition of highly specialized, cutting-edge knowledge in quantum computing and cryptography.
- Enhanced ability to formulate and execute a strategic, multi-year PQC migration plan.
- Improved capacity to assess and mitigate the highest-impact, long-term cyber risk.
- Increased professional credibility as a thought leader in technology risk and future-proofing.
- Better decision-making on critical IT investments and vendor selection.
- Development of skills to integrate cyber resilience across complex FMI architecture.
Organizational Impact
- Ensuring the **long-term cryptographic security and integrity** of all critical financial data and payment systems.
- Establishment of a proactive, coordinated national **Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Migration Strategy**.
- Mitigation of the existential threat posed by a future Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC).
- Strengthening of the organization's overall cyber resilience and FMI security posture.
- Improved collaboration and standardization with the national financial sector on security protocols.
- Preservation of the public's trust in the security of financial transactions and central bank data.
Course Outline
Unit 1: The Quantum Threat Landscape
The Fundamental Risk:- Introduction to Quantum Computing principles and its computational power.
- Shor's Algorithm and its potential to break RSA and ECC public-key cryptography.
- Grover's Algorithm and its impact on symmetric-key cryptography (e.g., AES).
- The "harvest now, decrypt later" threat model and its urgency.
- Understanding the concept of **"Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer" (CRQC)** timeline.
Unit 2: Identifying Cryptographic Exposure in FMIs
Risk Mapping:- Mapping all points of cryptographic use in payment systems: digital signatures, TLS/SSL, VPNs, and hardware security modules (HSMs).
- Assessing the risk to long-term data confidentiality and payment finality integrity.
- Specific analysis of quantum risk to **CBDCs** and DLT-based payment systems.
- Inventorying all cryptographic assets, keys, and algorithms in use.
- Estimating the potential "lifespan" of confidential data that requires quantum protection.
Unit 3: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Solutions
The Future of Security:- Overview of the main PQC families: Lattice-based, Code-based, Hash-based, and Multivariate.
- Analysis of the NIST PQC standardization process and selected winners (e.g., Kyber, Dilithium).
- Trade-offs: key size, performance overhead, and security guarantees of PQC algorithms.
- The concept of **hybrid cryptography** for a transitional migration phase.
- Developing internal testing and validation protocols for PQC algorithms.
Unit 4: The Strategic PQC Migration Roadmap
The Crypto-Agility Transition:- Developing a multi-year, phased **PQC Migration Roadmap** (discovery, prioritization, remediation, monitoring).
- The importance of **crypto-agility**—the ability to rapidly switch algorithms.
- Operational challenges: key management, certificate revocation, and hardware upgrades (HSMs).
- Cost-benefit analysis of PQC migration strategies.
- Coordinating PQC transition with external vendors, partners, and international payment networks (e.g., SWIFT).
Unit 5: Governance and Resilience Framework
Oversight and Policy:- Establishing a formal **Quantum Resilience Governance Committee** and its mandate.
- Integrating quantum risk into the existing Cyber Risk and Business Continuity Planning.
- Regulatory expectations and the role of the central bank in guiding the national financial sector PQC transition.
- Staff training, skill development, and external expert collaboration on quantum security.
- Ongoing monitoring of quantum technology progress and the threat timeline.
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