Jarrett Hicks | Director, Global Systems Integrator Partnerships, Thales
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Jarrett Hicks | Director, Global Systems Integrator Partnerships, Thales
More About This Author >
The race to secure the world’s digital infrastructure just entered a new chapter. As quantum computing moves from theory to reality, the very foundations of digital security—the cryptography we rely on every day—are facing an unprecedented challenge. Today, Thales is excited to announce an expanded collaboration with IBM Consulting designed to help global organizations modernize their security today while building a durable foundation for the post-quantum era.
The Invisible Crisis: Why Cryptography Can No Longer Be Ignored
Cryptography is the foundation that establishes trust in today's Digital ecosystem. For years, cryptography has been "hidden" within applications, payment systems, and operational infrastructure. But this "set it and forget it" approach has created a dangerous reality: fragmented tools, outdated encryption, and zero visibility into the cryptographic footprint. That risk is accelerating as quantum computers approach cryptographic relevance, putting the data protected by today’s cryptography increasingly at risk.
"The window to prepare for post‑quantum risk is already narrowing. Cryptographic systems protect some of the most sensitive data organizations hold, and the cost of waiting only compounds—operationally, regulatorily, and in long‑term exposure,” said Dinesh Nagarajan, Global Partner, Security Services at IBM Consulting. “By expanding our collaboration with Thales, we're able to help organizations take action now to build a more resilient, unified foundation for today’s risks and the post‑quantum future.”
And as Todd Moore, Vice President, Data Security Products at Thales, notes, “Despite cryptography being recognized by many as ‘critical infrastructure,’ many organizations still lack basic visibility into what they’re relying on. Without that, they cannot assess risk. As warnings from regulators and authorities continue, the message is clear: digital trust can no longer be assumed. It must be actively built and continuously managed. Together with IBM Consulting, we are delivering a comprehensive path toward crypto-agile security, enabling clients to better protect sensitive keys, secrets and data today while preparing for tomorrow’s cryptographic standards.”
A Unified Approach to Cryptographic Modernization
Thales contributes industry-leading encryption solutions, enterprise key management, and hardware-based trust anchors designed for highly regulated sectors and national-level security requirements. IBM Consulting complements these capabilities with end‑to‑end quantum‑safe transformation services—including cryptographic discovery and risk assessment, regulatory and business impact analysis, migration planning, and implementation at scale.
Together, we are delivering an integrated path and unified approach to modernization across systems, applications and payment flows.
1. Enterprise Key Management Modernization
Many organizations operate outdated and fragmented key management environments that lack automation, centralization, and governance. Joint capabilities enable a unified enterprise key discovery/inventory, automated lifecycle operations, and a centralized control plane for keys and HSMs — forming the foundation for quantum-safe cryptographic transformation.
2. Crypto Agility for Applications
Cryptography often sits hardcoded inside applications, creating hidden risks and delaying modernization. Together, IBM Consulting and Thales help organizations discover embedded cryptography, decouple it from application logic, and enforce policy centrally enabling crypto-agile development pipelines and smooth migration to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) without rewriting applications.
3. Quantum-Safe for Payments
Payment systems carry some of the highest quantum -related risks due to their dependency on complex, interconnected cryptographic processes. Combined capabilities deliver end-to-end cryptographic mapping for payments, PQC impact analysis, dual -track classical and quantum-safe cryptography, and controlled, nondisruptive migration paths for high-volume global payment ecosystems. The collaboration also supports modernization efforts tied to next-generation digital finance by delivering quantum-safe design principles at the earliest stages of transformation.
By applying risk based prioritization and centralized cryptographic control at key trust boundaries, organizations can introduce crypto agility at network, gateway, and cryptographic service layers. This helps secure transactions and data without disrupting performance or operations.
Beyond Security: The Business Competitive Edge
Modernizing your cryptographic posture isn't just about defense—it’s a strategic business accelerator. Organizations that embrace this transition can expect:
- Operational Efficiency: Eliminate redundant tools and slash management complexity across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
- Regulatory Readiness: Simplify compliance for GDPR, DORA, and PCI DSS with provable, centralized control that reduces the audit burden.
- Faster Innovation: Accelerate AI and cloud transformations by providing the centralized governance required to protect high-risk data pipelines.
- Minimized Breach Risk: By eliminating "silent" control failures and orphaned keys, you materially reduce your attack surface.
The Future is Quantum Safe. Are You?
The era of assuming digital trust is over. The era of actively building it has begun. Together, IBM Consulting and Thales provide the visibility, control, and phased transition paths necessary to turn cryptographic risk into a resilient foundation for the future.
Ready to take the next step?
- Join our upcoming Webinar - Protecting Trust in Payments Today While Preparing for the Post-Quantum Future on May 21
- Register for our next Trust Horizon event - Quantum Now and Forever on June 18, and hear the session on Turning Post-Quantum Plans into Real Progress to see these joint capabilities in action.
Preparation for the quantum era is a journey. Modernize with confidence and lead your industry into the quantum era.