Orange Business And Cisco Team on Crypto-agile PQC
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Insider Brief Orange Business and Cisco are deploying post-quantum cryptography across Orange’s global network to protect enterprise and public-sector data from future quantum-enabled attacks. PQC-secured WAN services are available now, with managed Cisco SD-WAN services planned for commercial launch in the third quarter of 2026. The approach embeds quantum-resistant encryption into SD-WAN infrastructure, enabling centrally managed, crypto-agile networks that can evolve as security standards change. Photo by Chris Yang on Unsplash Orange Business said it is rolling out post-quantum cryptography across its global network through a new collaboration with Cisco, aiming to protect enterprise and public-sector data against future attacks enabled by quantum computing. According to a blog post by Jean-Noël Michel, vice president of Communication Services Business Line at Orange Business, the company is the first European service provider to announce globally available network services secured with post-quantum cryptography, or PQC, built on Cisco’s 8000 Series Secure Routers. The services are designed to safeguard data traffic over wide-area networks as advances in quantum computing threaten today’s encryption methods. Orange Business said PQC-secured WAN services are available immediately, while managed Cisco SD-WAN services with post-quantum protection are targeted for commercial availability in the third quarter of calendar year 2026. The offering is intended to ensure that sensitive data moving between corporate sites, cloud platforms, and data centers remains protected even as new computing capabilities emerge. Quantum computing poses a long-term risk to widely used encryption algorithms that secure internet traffic today. As Michel writes, attackers could capture encrypted data now and decrypt it later once sufficiently powerful quantum computers become available, a scenario often described as “harvest now, decrypt later.” That risk is prompting network operators and large organizations to begin upgrading security well before quantum systems reach maturity. Orange Business said integrating PQC into Cisco SD-WAN infrastructure allows customers to adopt quantum-resistant encryption largely as a software feature, particularly when delivered as a managed service. By embedding the technology into the network layer, the company aims to reduce the operational burden on customers while addressing both current and future security threats. How PQC Fits Into Enterprise Networks Post-quantum cryptography relies on new mathematical techniques designed to resist attacks from both classical and quantum computers. When built into SD-WAN — the software-defined systems that manage how enterprise sites connect and exchange data — PQC can secure both the control plane, which governs how devices authenticate and communicate, and the data plane, which carries user traffic. Orange Business said this approach “future-proofs” the entire wide-area network rather than protecting only individual encrypted connections. Centralized management allows cryptographic methods to evolve over time without requiring customers to redesign their networks as standards change. The company added its approach also supports crypto-agility, meaning networks can quickly switch or upgrade encryption algorithms as threats and standards evolve. This capability is particularly important for organizations with long data lifecycles, such as those in government, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. Part of the Orange Quantum Defender Portfolio The PQC-enabled SD-WAN services are the latest addition to Orange Business’s Quantum Defender portfolio, which focuses on quantum-safe networking. Michel said the strategy is to embed post-quantum security early in network architectures rather than treating it as a later upgrade. By working with Cisco and deploying services over its global infrastructure, Orange Business aims to give customers a gradual, standards-aligned path toward quantum resilience. The companies said the goal is to protect data communications and digital services as quantum-related risks grow, without forcing organizations into sudden or disruptive changes.
Matt Swayne LinkedIn With a several-decades long background in journalism and communications, Matt Swayne has worked as a science communicator for an R1 university for more than 12 years, specializing in translating high tech and deep tech for the general audience. He has served as a writer, editor and analyst at The Quantum Insider since its inception. In addition to his service as a science communicator, Matt also develops courses to improve the media and communications skills of scientists and has taught courses. matt@thequantuminsider.com Share this article: