vendor · quantum risk
Buyer checklist | Quantum-Safe Claims & Education
Verdict
A buyer checklist does not make products quantum-proof—it prevents false assurance. Require algorithms, hybrids, audits, and residual classical risk in every purchase.
Overview
Procurement is a quantum control. Weak questions produce weak answers for a decade.
Pair with RFP PQC requirements and vendor-risk program pages.
Cryptographic profile
- Signatures: Whatever the product claims to implement
- Hash: N/A
- Public-key exposure: Procurement mistakes lock in classical-only stacks for years.
Claim scrutiny (buyer checklist)
Marketing / stated claims
- Enterprise-ready PQC
- Drop-in quantum-safe
Open questions
- Who signs off residual classical risk in the contract?
Educational analysis only. Verify primary sources, specs, and audits yourself before any financial or procurement decision.
What breaks
- Yes/no “are you quantum-safe?” forms
- Accepting AES-256 as the full handshake answer
- No version or library provenance
Mitigations
- Algorithm and parameter tables in RFPs
- Ask what remains classical
- Require update/migration mechanisms
- Retest annually
FAQ
Related RFP page?
/guides/rfp-pqc-requirements
Questionnaire?
/guides/pqc-questionnaire
Key concepts (technical dictionary)
Terms used on this page — open a definition: