Post-Quantum Security for Regulated Banking
Encryption that outlives the quantum threat
Quantum computers will eventually break the public-key cryptography that protects today's financial systems. ACM builds post-quantum cryptography into the platform now, so the records you hold for decades stay protected against the attacks of the future.
"Harvest now, decrypt later" is a today problem
Adversaries do not have to wait for a cryptographically relevant quantum computer to put your data at risk. They can capture encrypted traffic and stored records now, hold them, and decrypt them once the hardware matures.
For most industries that is a manageable risk. For banking it is not. Mortgages, loan files, member identities, and transaction histories stay sensitive for years or decades. Data exfiltrated today could still be valuable, and still be confidential, long after a quantum machine can unlock it.
That makes the migration to quantum-safe cryptography a present-day governance decision, not a problem to revisit later. ACM treats it as one.
Post-quantum from day one, not bolted on
Security that is added after the fact is the security that fails an examiner's review. ACM engineers post-quantum protection into the foundation of every deployment.
NIST-aligned algorithms
We build toward the cryptographic standards selected and published through the NIST post-quantum process, so your stack tracks the same direction regulators and auditors expect.
Crypto-agility
Algorithms are abstracted from the application layer, so primitives can be rotated as standards evolve without rebuilding the systems that depend on them.
Hybrid deployment
Classical and post-quantum algorithms run in combination, preserving proven security while adding quantum resistance and easing a phased rollout.
Protect what matters first
We prioritize long-lived, high-sensitivity data: identity records, loan files, and settlement instructions get quantum-safe protection ahead of transient traffic.
No core surgery
Migration is phased so cryptographic upgrades can proceed without ripping out the core or disrupting day-to-day operations.
Examiner-ready posture
Built for regulated institutions, with the documentation and controls needed to evidence a quantum-readiness program during review.
A clear path to quantum readiness
Post-quantum security at ACM is a program, not a checkbox. The work is concrete and reviewable.
- Cryptographic inventory: identify where public-key cryptography protects long-lived data across your environment.
- Risk-ranked roadmap: sequence the migration by data sensitivity and retention, protecting the highest-value records first.
- Hybrid rollout: deploy post-quantum alongside classical algorithms to add resistance without abandoning proven defenses.
- Agile delivery: our Agile Speed Framework moves the program forward in reviewable increments rather than one disruptive cutover.
- Layered defense: post-quantum cryptography reinforces, and is reinforced by, the real-time fraud detection and broader controls in our cybersecurity and fraud solution.
Where post-quantum cryptography attaches in your stack
Quantum-safe protection is only useful if it reaches the places your sensitive data actually lives and moves. ACM applies post-quantum primitives at the interfaces a bank already operates, rather than asking you to consolidate them first.
Keys and HSMs
Post-quantum key generation and signing integrate with PKCS#11 and KMIP-style key managers and hardware security modules, so root-of-trust material is protected without abandoning your existing HSM estate.
Data in transit
Hybrid key exchange wraps the TLS and mutual-auth channels that carry core, ledger, and KYC traffic, adding quantum resistance to connections without rewriting the services on either end.
Records at rest
Long-lived stores, loan files, identity records, and settlement instructions, are re-encrypted under post-quantum-protected keys behind the same APIs your applications already call.
External rails
Where card networks, payment rails, and counterparties still require classical algorithms, hybrid envelopes keep those connections compliant today while you are protected for the day the rails move.
The result is a migration that meets your core, ledger, and identity systems where they are, so cryptographic upgrades proceed without forcing a re-platform.
Crypto-agility you can administer and evidence
For a CISO and an examiner, a quantum-readiness program is judged on whether algorithm choices are controlled, observable, and provable. ACM treats cryptographic policy as governed infrastructure.
- Central crypto policy: approved algorithms, key strengths, and hybrid modes are configured centrally and enforced across services, so rotation is a controlled change rather than a code rewrite.
- RBAC and SSO: who can view, rotate, or retire keys and approve algorithm changes is bound to roles and your existing SSO and identity provider, with separation of duties on cryptographic operations.
- Immutable audit logs: key lifecycle events, algorithm changes, and access to protected material are recorded as tamper-evident logs that map to SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS evidence requirements.
- Living cryptographic inventory: the inventory of where public-key cryptography protects long-lived data stays current as systems change, giving you a defensible view of remaining quantum exposure.
- Examiner artifacts: the program produces the roadmap, control documentation, and migration status reporting needed to evidence quantum readiness during review.
Crypto-agility is the design goal; auditable administration is how you prove it holds up under regulatory scrutiny.
Built on the NIST post-quantum standards
Post-quantum cryptography is ACM's specialty, not a roadmap item. We align to the standards NIST finalized in 2024 and run them in a hybrid, crypto-agile model so algorithms rotate as the standards mature.
ML-KEM · FIPS 203
Lattice-based key encapsulation for establishing shared secrets, run in hybrid with classical key exchange.
ML-DSA · FIPS 204
Lattice-based digital signatures for integrity and authentication across the platform.
SLH-DSA · FIPS 205
Stateless hash-based signatures as a conservative, structure-independent alternative.
Threshold cryptography, non-custodial, decentralized consensus
Strong algorithms are not enough if a single key or party can move funds. ACM distributes trust across the stack.
- Threshold cryptography: high-value operations require a quorum of parties, so no single key or signer controls settlement.
- Non-custodial options: members and counterparties can hold their own keys, with separation of duties on cryptographic operations.
- Decentralized consensus: shared, tamper-evident state across participants for settlement and tokenized assets, reducing single points of failure.
- Harvest-now, decrypt-later defense: protect records that stay sensitive for decades, before quantum capability arrives.
Read the Post-Quantum Banking paper for the full architecture.
Build on cryptography that lasts
Talk to ACM about a post-quantum readiness assessment and a migration path engineered for regulated institutions, with no core surgery required.
Talk to ACMFrequently asked questions
What is "harvest now, decrypt later" and why does it affect banks today?
It is the practice of capturing encrypted data now and decrypting it once quantum computers are capable of breaking today's public-key cryptography. Because banking records such as loan files, identities, and transaction histories stay sensitive for years or decades, data taken today could still be confidential when a quantum machine can unlock it. That makes post-quantum migration a present-day decision for financial institutions.
Does ACM use NIST post-quantum cryptography standards?
ACM builds toward the cryptographic standards selected and published through the NIST post-quantum process, and designs for crypto-agility so algorithms can be rotated as those standards evolve. This keeps your stack aligned with the direction auditors and regulators expect.
Do we have to replace our core to add post-quantum protection?
No. ACM uses a phased, hybrid approach that runs post-quantum algorithms alongside classical ones and prioritizes your highest-value, longest-lived data first. Cryptographic upgrades proceed without ripping out the core or disrupting daily operations.
How does post-quantum security fit with fraud prevention?
They are complementary layers. Post-quantum cryptography protects data confidentiality against future computing threats, while real-time fraud detection and the controls in our cybersecurity and fraud solution defend against active attacks. ACM delivers both as part of a regulated-first security posture.