We’re heading into a perfect storm. AI is exploding, quantum computing is looming on the horizon, and digital certificates are expiring faster than ever. For businesses in 2026 and beyond, the answer isn’t just “more security”—it’s smarter, centralized cryptography management.

The Rise of AI and the “Ungoverned” Data Challenge

Artificial Intelligence is changing everything about how we work, but here’s the catch: around 70% of AI workloads will touch highly sensitive data. Right now, most companies aren’t ready for this. In fact, when it comes to security incidents involving AI-processed data, the containment failure rate is essentially 100%.

The Clock is Ticking: Shrinking Certificate Lifespans

One of the most immediate changes is the shortening of digital certificate lifespans. In the past, certificates could last for years. Now, browser mandates are pushing these lifespans down to as little as 47 days by 2029.

This change effectively ends the era of manual certificate management. Relying on spreadsheets or manual tracking is now a major risk, as 55% of organizations still do. When certificates expire, services go down, which can cost an average of 5.000€ per minute in lost revenue. Automation is no longer an “extra” feature; it is a mandatory requirement for business continuity.

Quantum Readiness: Harvest Now, Decrypt Later

While a powerful quantum computer might still be a few years away, the threat is already here. This is known as the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” (HNDL) attack, where attackers steal encrypted data today with the plan to unlock it once quantum technology is ready.

Despite this, many enterprises are stuck in a “planning plateau”. Around 85% of organizations are still in the preliminary planning stages of discovery and risk assessment for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). The transition to quantum-resilient security is an architectural overhaul, not just a simple software update, often requiring significant hardware refreshes to support larger PQC keys.

Moving Toward Centralized Governance

The solution to these converging trends is centralized governance. Security is currently too fragmented; approximately 45% of organizations still use decentralized security teams, which leads to “crypto-islands” where different departments use incompatible standards.

A Centralized Cryptography Office (CCO) is essential to define standards, manage budgets, and ensure a unified response to these threats. A centralized approach allows a company to:

• See everything: Bridging the “visibility gap” where 75% of teams don’t have a real-time inventory of their keys and certificates.
• Act fast: Reducing the time it takes to fix a cryptographic failure from hours to minutes.
• Stay compliant: Meeting strict new regulations (like NIS2 in Europe or NIST standards) that demand better data protection.

How CREAPLUS Can Help

These aren’t simple problems, and they don’t have simple solutions. At CREAPLUS, we help organizations build the cryptographic foundation they need for what’s coming. Whether you need to secure your AI implementation, automate your certificate lifecycles, or begin your journey toward quantum-resilient implementation, we provide the strategy and tools to keep your business in control.

Contact our team to learn how we can help you implement a modern, secure, and future-proof cybersecurity strategy.