Predictions: Palo Alto Networks predicts 2025 will see organisations pivot to quantum readiness

Ahmed Bin Abdulqader  ـ nabd–alhadath

 Palo Alto Networks has today released its predictions for the cybersecurity industry in EMEA, leading with a call for cyber teams to get a quantum resistant roadmap in place in order to future-proof their organisations from this growing threat, and opportunity. Drawing from insights from Palo Alto Network’s CSO team, as the global cybersecurity leader, Palo Alto Networks details five predictions for what will be shaping the cybersecurity landscape in 2025.

Organisations will tackle the first stages of quantum readiness

Quantum computing, quantum risk, and the technology necessary to protect, encrypt, and secure it will move into the mainstream tech discussion. While practical quantum attacks on widely used encryption methods are not yet feasible, they are likely to become possible within the next decade, and so the time for organisations to prepare is now.

In 2024, Chinese researchers successfully broke classic 50-bit RSA encryptions using a quantum annealing computer. Though this is not a case for alarm (RSA uses <2048 bits), it does further exacerbate a sudden and urgent need for quantum-resistant crypto algorithms.

In 2025, the race to deploy those algorithms will take on a greater focus for CISOs, particularly in financial services and those protecting critical national infrastructure.

The first step, in the short-term, should be in preparing a short-term Quantum-Resistant roadmap which would include:

• An assessment of the risk and map of self-developed applications and vendor technologies with Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) as an immediate requirement.
• A migration strategy to resistant cryptographic and annealing algorithms, taking into account the impacts on hardware resources, introduced latencies (user experience), and maintenance (e.g. key rotations).
• In line with c-suite priorities for 2025, such plans should include a view on how quantum could for the organisation effectively cut energy consumption and carbon emissions by enabling robust, uncertainty-aware control strategies for managing energy-intensive AI workloads.

With this analysis in place, CISOs will be able to debunk any hype around quantum with their boards, detailing what the threat is now, how it will be managed and what the business benefits of doing so might be.

Further predictions from Palo Alto Networks include:

1. Stringent measurement of cyber security efforts become the norm as AI’s impact on cyber attacks deepens: Security professionals should be proactive in establishing for themselves and their teams specific metrics to track against, laddering up to specific key performance indicators (KPIs).
2. Rise of AI co-pilots forces the re-writing of cybersecurity job descriptions: With the rising popularity and sophistication of AI-enabled security co-pilots, from helpful assistants to fully autonomous ‘teammates’, the human job description for every cybersecurity role will need to be re-written in the next year.
3. Cyber’s role in the climate fight – Cyber professionals shoot for the ‘double wins’ of reducing cost and carbon footprint: Organisations must adopt greener practices to minimise the environmental impact of their digital infrastructure – from embracing consolidation to optimising AI models for energy efficiency.
4. Compliance Redefined: Cyber teams pushed to prove ‘Impact’ over ‘Intent’: With the increase in cybersecurity related regulations organisations will need to go beyond written, approved and implemented policies. A growing trend towards providing real-time evidence and assurance to regulators will become a norm.