Microsoft is speeding up its quantum-safe plans. The company now says it wants to move its critical products and services to post-quantum cryptography by 2029. That’s sooner than what anyone was expecting.
The reason? Advances in quantum computing are coming faster than predicted. While today’s quantum machines can’t crack modern encryption, there’s a real threat called “harvest now, decrypt later” — attackers steal encrypted data today and wait until future quantum computers can break it open.
Microsoft laid out three priorities for the transition: upgrading network cryptography to modern standards like TLS 1.3, building “crypto-agility” so algorithms can be swapped without redesigning entire applications, and modernizing cryptographic trust chains for code signing, certificates, and software updates.
The company is folding these plans into its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), letting it track quantum-safe readiness alongside other security goals.
Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich told BleepingComputer this isn’t about a specific breakthrough. It’s risk management. “Shifting to quantum-resistant security takes years. This is a proactive, risk-informed decision.”
When asked what falls under “critical products and services,” Russinovich said it covers the entire Microsoft portfolio. Yes, everything.
Apple, Google, and Signal have already started integrating post-quantum cryptography into their products. Microsoft is now making it clear — the clock is ticking, and 2029 is the target.
