UK PQC implementation

Post-Quantum Cryptography for UK Organisations

Fira Quantum Safe helps UK teams move from an external website scan to a practical post-quantum cryptography migration plan across TLS, APIs, certificates, signatures and long-lived sensitive data.

1. External Readiness Scan

Check public TLS, security headers and observable post-quantum key exchange signals before deeper migration planning.

2. Cryptographic Inventory

Map TLS endpoints, APIs, VPNs, certificates, signing systems, key stores, backups and third-party dependencies.

3. NCSC Timeline Mapping

Prioritise systems against the UK migration milestones for discovery, planning and full PQC migration.

4. NIST-Aligned Implementation

Pilot ML-KEM for key establishment and plan ML-DSA or SLH-DSA workstreams for signatures where needed.

Why UK Teams Should Start Now

The UK migration challenge is not only choosing algorithms. It is finding where classical public-key cryptography is used, identifying which data has a long confidentiality lifetime and changing systems without breaking clients, partners or compliance evidence.

A practical UK PQC programme should start with visible endpoints and then expand into APIs, VPNs, certificates, identity systems, document signing, code signing, backups and third-party services. The earlier this inventory work begins, the less risky the final migration becomes.

Implementation Areas

Websites and public TLS

Check TLS 1.3, downgrade exposure, CDN support and hybrid ML-KEM readiness.

APIs and service traffic

Map API gateways, mTLS, partner clients, webhook signatures and service identity.

Digital signatures

Plan RSA and ECDSA migration around ML-DSA or SLH-DSA for documents, software and certificates.

Governance and evidence

Create a migration roadmap that aligns technical pilots with risk, procurement and audit requirements.

UK PQC Migration Checklist

  1. 1. Run an external scan. Check the public website or API hostname for TLS posture and post-quantum readiness signals.
  2. 2. Build a cryptographic inventory. Include certificates, key exchange, signatures, tokens, encrypted stores and third-party dependencies.
  3. 3. Rank systems by data lifetime. Prioritise regulated, financial, health, identity, government and commercially sensitive data.
  4. 4. Pilot hybrid key establishment. Test ML-KEM-based hybrid TLS where provider support already exists.
  5. 5. Plan signature migration separately. Treat ML-DSA and SLH-DSA as a distinct workstream for documents, software, devices and certificate workflows.

Primary References

UK PQC FAQ

Who needs post-quantum cryptography in the UK?

UK organisations with long-lived confidential data, regulated data, public-sector exposure, financial data, health data or critical supplier relationships should include PQC migration in their security planning.

Where should a UK organisation start?

Start with a public endpoint scan and a cryptographic inventory. Then rank systems by data lifetime, exposure and dependency complexity before running pilot implementations.

Which standards matter for UK PQC migration?

The practical baseline is NIST FIPS 203 for ML-KEM key establishment, FIPS 204 for ML-DSA signatures and FIPS 205 for SLH-DSA signatures, planned against UK NCSC migration guidance.

Start With a Free Public Scan

Use the free scanner to check an externally visible endpoint, then turn the result into a broader UK post-quantum cryptography migration plan.