This workshop helps CNI operators and government security leads assess quantum risks to energy, water, transport, finance, and telecommunications infrastructure and plan prioritised cryptographic upgrades across IT and OT boundaries.
Critical national infrastructure faces quantum cryptographic risks that differ fundamentally from enterprise IT. OT systems in energy, water, and transport have 15-30 year asset lifecycles, safety certification constraints that make cryptographic upgrades expensive and slow, and legacy industrial protocols (Modbus/TCP, DNP3, IEC 61850) with limited or absent native encryption. The IT/OT convergence trend means that enterprise network compromises can expose OT environments to harvest-now-decrypt-later data collection. CNI operators cannot simply swap cryptographic libraries and redeploy; they must navigate safety re-certification, operational continuity requirements, and sector regulator expectations simultaneously.
The regulatory framework is tightening. The NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) Objective B and NIS Regulations 2018 create obligations for operators of essential services to protect against foreseeable threats. Sector regulators (Ofgem, Ofwat, CAA, ORR) are beginning to incorporate quantum readiness into their compliance expectations. This workshop provides CNI operators with a structured risk assessment methodology that accounts for the unique constraints of industrial environments, maps the specific cryptographic dependencies across IT and OT boundaries, and develops sector-appropriate migration strategies with realistic timelines and cost models.
Full Day Workshop structure with scheduled breaks. Content is configurable to your CNI sector, operational technology environment, and regulatory jurisdiction.
| # | Session | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Quantum Threat to Critical National Infrastructure Why CNI operators face different quantum risks than enterprise IT | |
| 2 | Operational Technology Cryptographic Exposure SCADA, ICS, and industrial protocol vulnerabilities |
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| Break, after 50 min | ||
| 3 | Regulatory Framework for CNI Quantum Migration NCSC, NIS, and sector-specific obligations |
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| 4 | Interactive Demonstration: CNI Quantum Risk Assessment Full-day format only |
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| Break, after 60 min | ||
| 5 | CNI Sector-Specific Migration Strategies Energy, water, transport, finance, and telecommunications |
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| 6 | Supply Chain and Vendor Assessment for CNI PQC Evaluating vendor quantum readiness for critical infrastructure procurement |
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| 7 | Q&A and Migration Roadmap Planning | |
Workshops are designed and delivered by QSECDEF in collaboration with sector specialists. All facilitators have direct experience in both quantum technologies and critical national infrastructure security.
Workshop design and delivery
QSECDEF brings world-leading expertise in post-quantum cryptography, quantum computing strategy, and defence-grade security assessment. Our advisory membership spans 600+ organisations and 1,200+ professionals working at the intersection of quantum technologies and critical infrastructure security.
Domain expertise and operational validation
CNI workshops are co-delivered with OT security specialists who have direct operational experience in critical infrastructure environments. This ensures workshop content is grounded in the safety, regulatory, and operational constraints specific to CNI sectors.
Sessions are configured around your CNI sector, operational technology environment, and regulatory jurisdiction. Get in touch to discuss requirements and schedule a date.
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