Post-Quantum Authentication: Why Organizations Should Start Testing Certificate Ecosystems Now
Microsoft, Thursday, October 8th, 2026
Microsoft urges organizations to inventory certificate dependencies and test post-quantum authentication now.
Microsoft notes that post-quantum cryptography planning often focuses on encrypted data, but authentication systems including certificates, trust anchors, PKI services, devices and HSMs are also affected by new algorithms and larger certificate chains.
Its PQC TLS Pilot Program helps eligible certificate authorities evaluate interoperability and operational readiness.
The post recommends inventorying certificate dependencies, assessing vendor roadmaps, identifying long-lived infrastructure and creating non-production test environments to expose compatibility and process gaps before post-quantum authentication is required at scale.