# Post-Quantum Migration **Domain:** Cryptography / Migration / Long-Term Security **Doc Type:** Canonical Security Transition Node **Maturity:** Active Standards Transition ## Definition **Post-quantum migration is the transition from cryptographic mechanisms vulnerable to future quantum attacks toward approved post-quantum algorithms and interoperable implementations.** ## Continuity Relevance Continuity archives can remain sensitive and authoritative for longer than the secure life of current public-key systems. Migration therefore includes discovery of cryptographic dependencies, protection against harvest-now-decrypt-later risk, replacement of signatures and key-establishment mechanisms, interoperability testing and preservation of evidence about which signatures were valid under which trust regime. The transition must not erase provenance. Historical signatures may require trusted timestamps, renewal records or archival validation rather than simple replacement. [[wiki/Crypto Agility|Crypto Agility]] supplies the operational capacity; [[wiki/Cryptographic Succession|Cryptographic Succession]] governs who may authorize the change. ## Current Status NIST has issued initial post-quantum cryptography standards and supports migration planning. This is current security work, not a speculative precedent. The computational-person application remains prospective. ## Sources / Provenance - [NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography](https://www.nist.gov/pqc). - [NCCoE Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography](https://pages.nist.gov/nccoe-migration-post-quantum-cryptography/).