Quantum Risk Is A Decision Layer Problem, Not A Cryptography Problem

InnovationQuantum Risk Is A Decision Layer Problem, Not A Cryptography ProblemByMaman Ibrahim,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 12, 2026, 09:15am EDTMaman Ibrahim is a cyber and digital risk executive, helping boards, CRO, CIO, and CISO turn risk work into decisions, delivery, and proof. getty​In my advisory work with boards and senior risk leaders, I have seen the same pattern with most emerging technology risks of the past two decades: A specialist function raises an early warning, executive colleagues acknowledge the issue and return to the demands of the current quarter and the specialist team is left holding a risk that belongs to the whole enterprise, without the authority or reach to address it. Quantum exposure is the next candidate. In recent conversations, I have seen it labeled "the quantum project" and handed to the cryptography function.The regulatory backdrop now makes this approach untenable. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has finalized its first post-quantum cryptography standards. The U.K.'s National Cyber Security Centre expects discovery and migration planning by 2028, high-priority migration by 2031 and full migration by 2035. The European Commission has instructed Member States to begin the transition by the end of 2026, with critical infrastructure migrated by 2030. These developments address the technical and accountability dimensions, but they do not resolve how organizations choose which systems to migrate, in what order and on whose authority.Why The Cyber Register Is The Wrong Filing PlaceMost risk registers I have reviewed file quantum exposure under cyber risk. The classification feels intuitive, but obscures where the actual decisions sit. Quantum exposure cuts across data, supplier contracts, capital allocation, customer commitments,...