Your cryptographic estate has a2028 deadline.
Do you know what's in it?
Q-Edge delivers NCSC-aligned quantum readiness assessments and cryptographic migration roadmaps for UK financial services firms — at a price that works for SMEs.
Most UK financial firms are running cryptographic systems built for a pre-quantum world.
NIST published three quantum-safe standards in 2024. The NCSC has set a 2028 deadline. The question isn't whether to migrate — it's whether you'll know what to migrate when the time comes.
No Cryptographic Inventory
You don't know what algorithms your systems use, where they live, or how they're connected. Migration planning is impossible without this baseline.
The 2028 Deadline Is Closing
NCSC guidance sets 2028 as the target for systems protecting sensitive data to be quantum-safe. Discovery and remediation alone can take 12–18 months.
Harvest Now, Decrypt Later
Adversaries are collecting encrypted traffic today, waiting for quantum computers to decrypt it. Your long-term confidentiality is already at risk — not in 2028. Now.
Trust Now, Forge Later
HNDL targets your encrypted data. A separate quantum attack targets your digital signatures — PKI certificates, transaction signing, code signing. Once a capable quantum computer exists, an attacker who collected your public keys today can derive your private key and forge valid signatures retroactively. Encryption and signing are different migration tracks.
Enterprise Solutions Don't Fit
Enterprise consultancies serve FTSE 100 firms at prices designed for them. Most UK financial services SMEs have no accessible, expert PQC guidance.
The DOT Framework
Every engagement produces the same three deliverables. No scope creep. No vague outputs.
No engagement expands without a written agreement.
You know exactly what you're getting before work begins.
Cryptographic Inventory
Every algorithm, certificate, protocol, and key material in your estate — catalogued into a CycloneDX 1.6 CBOM.
Quantum Readiness Assessment
Your assets scored against NCSC timelines and NIST PQC standards. Highest-risk systems and HNDL exposure prioritised.
Migration Roadmap
A phased, board-ready plan — which systems to move first, which algorithms to adopt, and how to transition without disruption.
Start with a fixed-scope engagement. A retainer is available once you've seen the work.
Every deliverable is designed to present upward.
This is what a CBOM looks like.
A Cryptographic Bill of Materials — formatted to CycloneDX 1.6 — catalogues every algorithm, protocol, certificate, and key material in your estate.
Each entry is scored against NCSC migration timelines. Quantum-vulnerable components surface immediately. Your board sees exactly what needs to move and when.
Get your snapshot| System | Algorithm | Type | Library | NCSC Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments API | RSA-2048 | Encryption | OpenSSL 1.1.1q | Immediate |
| Core Banking TLS | TLS 1.2 (RSA-DHE) | Protocol | nginx 1.23.2 | 2025–2026 |
| Document Signing Service | ECDSA P-256 | Signature | libcrypto.so | 2025–2026 |
| Client Data at Rest | AES-256-GCM | Encryption | OpenSSL 1.1.1q | Monitor |
| FX Trading Platform | RSA-4096 | Authentication | libssl.so 1.1.1q | Immediate |
| SWIFT Integration Layer | TLS 1.2 (DHE-RSA) | Protocol | OpenSSL 3.0.2 | 2025–2026 |
| Client Portal Auth | HMAC-SHA1 | MAC | Internal SDK v2.4 | High |
The firms that can afford IBM are already getting this advice.
Q-Edge exists for the firms enterprise consultancies won't take a call from.
NCSC-Aligned Methodology
Built on NCSC PQC migration guidance, NIST FIPS 203/204/205, and the ACSC standard — not generic consulting frameworks.
UK Financial Services Only
Fintechs, asset managers, payment processors, insurers. FCA, PRA, DORA, and NCSC — we know your regulatory environment.
SME-Accessible Pricing
Enterprise consulting has an £80k+ floor. Q-Edge is built for firms with 20–500 employees, with transparent fixed-scope pricing.
Vendor-Neutral Advice
No proprietary tooling, no vendor lock-in. Recommendations based on open NIST standards and NCSC guidance only.
Quantum Readiness in Weeks
Enterprise scoping takes 6–18 months. Our DOT methodology delivers your QRA in weeks.
Wealth Managers & Family Offices
AML records and position data held for decades — prime HNDL targets. Portfolio reporting and client mandate documents also rely on digital signatures exposed to TNFL forgery risk.
Boutique Investment Banks & M&A Advisory
Deal communications encrypted today may be exposed before transactions close.
Insurers with Long-Tail Claims
Policy data with 20–30 year retention sits within the HNDL exposure window. Policy documents and claims settlements rely on digital signatures — a separate TNFL exposure most insurers haven't assessed.
Fintech Lenders & Payment Processors
High-volume PII under FCA/PRA oversight — regulatory scrutiny is accelerating.
Challenger Banks & Credit Unions
Cloud-native stacks on TLS and RSA. Vendor PQC roadmaps are often unconfirmed.
Financial Data & Analytics Providers
Proprietary models and client data are the product — confidentiality is non-negotiable.
UK financial services. That's it.
We don't serve every sector. PQC risk varies by data type, retention period, and regulatory exposure. These are the UK FS verticals where the threat is most acute.
If your firm holds data that must remain confidential past 2028 and you operate under FCA, PRA, or DORA regulation — Q-Edge is built for you.
The 5-Phase Cryptoagility Roadmap
This is what happens between kickoff and your CBOM. Five phases, each with a defined output and a clear audit trail.
Book a QRACryptographic Asset Discovery
Source code, containers, and infrastructure scanned. Every algorithm, certificate, and key material catalogued.
CBOM Generation & Classification
Assets structured into a CycloneDX 1.6 CBOM — the standard used by IBM and OWASP.
Quantum Readiness Assessment
Each asset scored against NCSC timelines and NIST PQC standards. HNDL-exposed systems flagged Priority 1.
Algorithm Selection & Hybrid Design
Right-sized NIST replacements recommended — ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA — with hybrid transition design.
Migration Roadmap & Governance
Board-ready migration plan with phased timelines, vendor guidance, and ongoing cryptoagility governance.
Transparent pricing.
No hidden scope.
Fixed-scope. Fixed price. You know exactly what you're getting before we start.
Quantum Readiness Assessment
The fastest way to understand your exposure. We walk through your current cryptographic setup, identify your highest-risk systems, and tell you where you stand against the NCSC 2028 timeline.
Full PQC Audit
A complete cryptographic audit from discovery through board-ready output. You get a full CBOM, NCSC-aligned risk assessment, and a phased migration roadmap your team can execute.
PQC Advisory Retainer
NCSC timelines shift. NIST publishes updates. FCA expectations evolve. This retainer keeps a dedicated advisor at your shoulder — so your cryptographic posture stays current between assessments. Built for firms post-QRA.
All engagements begin with a free 30-minute scoping call. No obligation.
Do you know what's in your
cryptographic estate?
Book a 30-minute call. We'll walk through your current cryptographic exposure, identify your highest-risk systems, and give you a clear picture of where you stand against the NCSC 2028 timeline — at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions?
Book a free 30-minute call — no obligation, no sales pitch.