SafeCipher | PKI, HSM/KMS, PQC & Crypto Agility
The 2026 Crypto Compliance Clocks
2026 is the year cryptography changes stop being optional. Certificate lifetimes shrink, FIPS transitions become procurement blockers, and PQC/hybrid readiness moves from theory into real-world network roadmaps.
If you’re not automating certificates, don’t have a full view of where cryptography is used, and don’t have a plan for PQC and FIPS changes, the result will be outages, audit headaches, or blocked purchases.
Call: +44 (0) 7498 045 184 • Vendor-neutral delivery across cloud, on-prem, hybrid, and OT/IIoT estates.
- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) readiness
- FIPS 140-3 migration planning
- Certificate lifecycle automation (CLM)
- Cryptographic inventory & audit evidence
- Crypto agility for hybrid transitions
The clocks (and what to do now)
| Clock | What changes | What to do now (SafeCipher focus) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 2026 | Public TLS certificate validity drops to 200 days. Renewal frequency increases. Manual processes don’t scale. |
Implement certificate lifecycle automation: discovery, ownership, issuance/renewal, deployment, monitoring and alerting.
Related: PKI Services •
CLM Services
|
| 21 Sep 2026 | FIPS 140-2 reaches a major transition point as validations move to CMVP “Historical”. Procurement/audit requirements begin to bite. |
Build a FIPS 140-2 → 140-3 migration plan across HSMs, KMS, crypto libraries and security appliances.
Related: Cloud & HSM Services •
PKI & HSM Migration
|
| 2026 | CNSA 2.0 expectations start landing in networks. Hybrid/PQC readiness becomes an interoperability and performance topic. |
Run hybrid/PQC lab testing, assess middlebox compatibility (proxies/load balancers/inspection),
and design crypto agility for phased rollout.
Related: Quantum PKI Transition •
PKI Design & Architecture
|
| Multiplier | If you can’t inventory cryptography, you can’t comply with any clock. RSA/ECC and legacy modules hide across apps, devices, appliances and vendors. |
Deliver a cryptographic inventory (algorithms, locations, owners, lifecycles, dependencies) and a prioritised remediation roadmap.
Related: Cryptographic Audits
|
| 2030 (starts now) | RSA-2048 planning: with thousands of apps, appliances and peripherals, the uplift path takes years, not months. | Use 2026 to inventory RSA-2048 usage, confirm vendor roadmaps, and prioritise uplift paths (stronger baselines and/or hybrid where appropriate) to avoid a 2029–2030 fire drill. |
What you should have in place by mid-2026
- A complete cryptographic inventory: algorithms, locations, owners, lifecycles and dependencies.
- Certificate automation: discovery, renewals, deployment, monitoring and alerting.
- A PQC roadmap: hybrid testing plan, crypto agility design, and prioritised migrations.
- A FIPS 140-2 → 140-3 migration plan for HSM/KMS, libraries and vendor products.
- Supply chain controls: code signing and firmware signing key protection and governance.
Free readiness scan
We identify where legacy crypto lives, which 2026 clocks affect you, and what to fix first.
Prefer phone? +44 (0) 7498 045 184
Explore related SafeCipher services
PKI Services • Cloud & HSM Services • Cryptographic Audits • Quantum PKI Transition • PKI & HSM Migration