Why IBM and Entrust are Teaming up for Post-Quantum Security

Entrust and IBM Consulting have announced a collaboration to help enterprises prepare for quantum computing threats.

This combines IBM's quantum-safe transformation services with Entrust's capabilities in PKI, cryptographic security and hardware security.

With the goal of establishing an enterprise-wide cryptographic operating model built around the Entrust Cryptographic Security Platform, the duo makes enterprises ready for post-quantum era.

The CSP acts as a unified control plane for continuous discovery, visibility, policy enforcement and lifecycle automation across certificates, keys and secrets.

The collaboration moves organisations from risk assessment to structured execution.

Implementation could help enterprises prepare for cryptographic vulnerabilities that quantum computers may exploit.

"With regulatory expectations increasing and quantum computing advances continuing to accelerate, organisations can no longer treat quantum risk as a future concern," says Dinesh Nagarajan, Executive Partner and Global Service Line Leader for Quantum-Safe and Data Security at IBM Consulting.

"Preparation can no longer be delayed. By partnering with Entrust, we can help organisations move decisively toward post-quantum readiness, with solutions built for sustainable governance, resilience and scale."

Why cryptographic transformation matters

Quantum computing has evolved from a theoretical concept to a board-level concern, particularly in regulated industries and organisations managing long-lived sensitive data.

Threat actors are harvesting encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it once quantum computers become capable.

This occurs as global regulatory pressure continues to mount.

However, the transformation faces hurdles.

Cryptographic sprawl is an example.

This is because cryptographic assets such as certificates, keys and secrets are scattered across legacy systems, cloud platforms and DevOps pipelines.

Each of which is governed by inconsistent policies.

Traditional assessments and isolated tools are no longer sufficient.

Organisations need a unified control and remediation framework that can provide continuous oversight and enable consistent governance across all cryptographic assets.

The Entrust and IBM Consulting collaboration aims to address this requirement.

The partners have structured their solution to provide measurable outcomes.

How the quantum-safe programme works

The joint solution offers an end-to-end programme designed to guide organisations through their transition to quantum-resistant cryptography.

The process starts with enterprise-wide discovery and risk assessment.

Entrust Cryptographic Security Platform provides visibility into cryptographic assets.

The platform maps exposure to business services, data longevity and regulatory requirements.

IBM Consulting develops a business-aligned migration roadmap using its Quantum Safe Migration Orchestrator.

This converts insights into a prioritised, risk-based plan tailored to operational and compliance needs.

The final phase focuses on managed execution and ongoing governance.

Changes are implemented while enforcing policy and automating lifecycle processes.

"Quantum preparedness starts with regaining control of your cryptography across applications, clouds, identities and infrastructure," says Mike Baxter, Chief Technology & Product Officer at Entrust.

"We are excited to partner with IBM Consulting, which brings deep expertise in orchestrating the enterprise transformation required to deliver effective cryptographic management.

"Entrust supports this with its unified control plane for PKI, keys, certificates, and secrets, anchored in post-quantum compliant hardware security modules.

"Together, we can help customers establish governance, reduce operational risk today and adopt crypto-agility so they can transition to post-quantum standards with confidence."

Centralised control at scale

The collaboration delivers centralised control while reducing operational complexity. 

IBM Consulting oversees deployment and operation to ensure consistent governance at scale. The partnership enables organisations to align cryptographic maturity with business risk.

By linking cryptographic exposure to critical services and regulatory demands, enterprises can prioritise remediation efforts.

This could demonstrate audit-ready compliance.

The combined solution is designed to help organisations reduce cryptographic debt and minimise disruption.

As quantum threats continue to evolve, this approach supports a transition to post-quantum standards while maintaining security and operational stability.