Your Entry Point to Post-Quantum Cryptography
The global transition to post-quantum cryptography is underway. NIST has finalized standards. Regulatory deadlines are set. The harvest-now-decrypt-later threat is active today. This half-day course gives you the foundational understanding you need to engage with PQC migration work, whether you are a security professional, IT leader, developer, or consultant.
Post-Quantum Foundation covers what every professional needs to know before going deeper: what the quantum threat actually is (and is not), what NIST has standardized and why, what a PQC migration involves in practice, and how to assess timelines and urgency with evidence rather than vendor-driven fear.
This course does not prepare you for hands-on implementation, migration planning, or any Quantum Academy certification exam. It is the required first step before enrolling in Post-Quantum Certified Specialist (PQCS) Training.
Who Should Take This Course
Anyone entering the PQC space. Security professionals, IT leaders, developers, architects, project managers, compliance officers, risk managers, and consultants who need a solid, vendor-independent introduction before specializing. No quantum computing background is required.
You should take this course if you:
- Need to understand PQC well enough to contribute to organizational discussions and planning
- Are evaluating whether to pursue formal PQC certification
- Want to assess your organization’s quantum exposure at a conceptual level
- Need to brief colleagues or leadership on the PQC transition
- Are entering a role where PQC migration is on the roadmap
What You Will Learn
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Explain the quantum threat to current cryptography using the HNDL (harvest-now-decrypt-later) and TNFL (trust-now-forge-later) threat models
- Distinguish between quantum computing milestones (quantum advantage, logical qubits) and a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC)
- Identify the four NIST finalized post-quantum standards — ML-KEM (formerly CRYSTALS-Kyber), ML-DSA (formerly CRYSTALS-Dilithium), SLH-DSA (formerly SPHINCS+), and FN-DSA (formerly FALCON) — and explain their intended use cases
- Describe the phases of a PQC migration using the PQC Migration Framework
- Assess quantum threat timelines using evidence-based reasoning rather than vendor marketing
- Identify the regulatory and market drivers creating immediate urgency
- Communicate quantum risk to non-technical stakeholders without fear-based messaging
Course Outline
Module 1 — The Quantum Threat to Cryptography
What quantum computers can and cannot do. How Shor’s algorithm breaks RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography. Why symmetric algorithms (AES) and hash functions are less affected. The distinction between quantum advantage demonstrations and cryptographically relevant capability. The HNDL threat model: adversaries harvesting encrypted data today for future decryption when a CRQC becomes available. The TNFL threat model: digital signatures that could be forged retroactively, undermining trust in software updates, legal documents, and financial transactions. Why both threats create urgency even though a CRQC does not yet exist.
Module 2 — NIST Post-Quantum Standards
The NIST standardization process and what it produced. ML-KEM for key encapsulation: what it does, where it applies, and why it is the default choice for most key exchange scenarios. ML-DSA for general-purpose digital signatures: performance characteristics and deployment considerations. SLH-DSA as the conservative, hash-based alternative for organizations that want security assumptions independent of lattice problems. FN-DSA for applications where compact signatures matter. HQC as the backup code-based standard providing algorithmic diversity. Why NIST selected these algorithms and how to read the standards at a level sufficient for planning conversations.
Module 3 — PQC Migration Overview
What a PQC migration actually involves: the PQC Migration Framework phases from discovery and inventory through implementation, verification, and operational handover. Why migrations take years, not months: the discovery challenge, the testing burden, the vendor dependency problem, and the coordination required across interconnected systems. Where organizations typically start. The role of hybrid cryptography as a transition mechanism. What “done” looks like, and why migration is not a one-time project but a permanent operational capability.
Module 4 — Regulatory and Market Drivers
CNSA 2.0 and the US government timeline, including the January 2027 acquisition gate. EU quantum-readiness initiatives and the NIS2 connection. Sector-specific mandates in financial services (G7 Cyber Expert Group, PCI DSS roadmap), telecommunications (GSMA PQ.01-PQ.07), and defense (NSM-10). How insurance markets and client contracts are creating commercial pressure independent of regulation. The difference between compliance-driven and risk-driven migration, and why organizations need both lenses.
Format and Delivery
Online (self-paced) — US$349. Approximately 4 hours of content on the Quantum Academy learning platform. 90-day access window.
Live online (instructor-led) — US$349. Half-day scheduled session via video conference with live Q&A.
In-person (instructor-led) — US$599. Half-day at scheduled locations worldwide. Small-group format with printed materials.
Corporate delivery — Custom delivery for organizational teams. Contact training@quantumacademy.com.
Prerequisites
None.
This Is a Prerequisite For
Certificate of Attendance
Upon completion, you will receive a Quantum Academy certificate of attendance. This is a course completion record, not a professional certification. It does not include an exam or a credential.
Recommended Reading
- Quantum Ready — the complete guide to PQC migration
- PQC Migration Framework — the open-source methodology referenced throughout this course
Pricing
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Online (self-paced) | US$349 |
| Live online (instructor-led) | US$349 |
| In-person (instructor-led) | US$599 |
| Foundation → PQCS online bundle (Foundation + PQCS training + exam) | US$2,649 |
| Foundation → PQCS in-person bundle (Foundation + PQCS training + exam) | US$3,599 |
All prices are in US dollars.