Post-Quantum Cryptography Explained — Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (2026)

Right now, somewhere, an adversary is copying your encrypted VPN traffic. They can't read it today. They're saving it — for the day a quantum computer can crack it open. It's called "harvest now, decrypt later," and in 2026 it stopped being a thought experiment.

This episode breaks down the post-quantum migration for people who actually run networks.

What you'll hear:
• The three NIST post-quantum standards (ML-KEM for key exchange, ML-DSA + SLH-DSA for signatures), finalized August 2024
• What "harvest now, decrypt later" means and why 5+ year data is already exposed
• The expert-odds jump — 34% to 49% in one year — that a code-breaking quantum computer arrives within a decade
• Cisco's real ship dates: Quantum Ready Assessments (July), IOS XE PQC for SD-WAN (August), default quantum-safe secure boot, majority of portfolio by December
• Where it maps to Network+: IPsec VPNs, TLS handshakes, PKI, certificates, SD-WAN
• Hype vs. the honest take — why migrating is worth it even if "Q-Day" never comes
• A 4-step Monday playbook

Sources: NIST FIPS 203/204/205 · Global Risk Institute Quantum Threat Timeline Report 2025 · Google quantum research (March 2026) · Cisco Live 2026 · NSA CNSA 2.0 / White House NSM-10 / EU PQC roadmap.

— Andrés Sarmiento

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