Cryptographic inventory: key to visibility, digital trust and post-quantum readiness

November 17, 2025

Before diving into cryptographic details, let me share my experience in one of the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) projects I was involved in: when it started, I expected complex algorithms, key exchanges and performance testing, but I didn’t expect the silence that followed this question: Do we know where all our cryptography is?

The room went quiet. Engineers exchanged glances. Some pointed to spreadsheets; others mentioned certificates managed by third parties. It became clear: while we were building the future of encryption, we didn’t have a complete map of the present.

That moment revealed an uncomfortable truth: organisations talk about encryption as if it were a single shield, but behind the scenes lies a fragmented landscape of legacy algorithms, unmanaged keys and invisible dependencies.

Without an accurate cryptographic asset inventory, migrating to quantum-safe standards is like navigating without a compass.

The need for and relevance of cryptographic visibility

Once we realised this, the project took a new turn. We stopped asking What algorithm should we use? and started asking What do we actually have? Because in the coming quantum era, knowing one’s cryptography will determine whether you can protect trust or merely hope to preserve it.

That moment stayed with me. It highlighted a silent gap at the heart of most companies: we have cryptography everywhere, but barely any awareness of it. Certificates, keys, tokens and algorithms operate invisibly across infrastructures, applications and vendors, forming what could be called the hidden fabric of trust.

But without visibility or inventory, that fabric unravels under pressure — especially during the transition to post-quantum cryptography.

What is a cryptographic inventory?

Therefore, an inventory of cryptographic assets is not a bureaucratic exercise, but a fundamental necessity. It provides the situational awareness required to identify what needs to be protected, modernised or replaced. Just as asset management underpins Cyber Security, a well-maintained cryptographic inventory underpins the very notion of digital trust, enabling companies to shift from reactive security to proactive resilience.

Cryptography is the cornerstone of the global digital ecosystem, as it underpins the very essence of digital trust. As organisations increasingly rely on secure digital interactions, cryptography has become a strategic and indispensable asset in today’s interconnected world.

It is not possible to protect what is not visible, nor to trust what cannot be explained: a cryptographic inventory reflects the integrity of digital systems.

A cryptographic inventory represents a dynamic and comprehensive record of all current and evolving instances of cryptographic assets across an organisation’s extended technology infrastructure. This Cyber Security practice aims to provide a unified view of where and how cryptographic objects are deployed, ensuring their effective and secure management throughout the digital ecosystem.

When the quantum disruption arrives, only those who have mapped their cryptography will know where to fortify.

Complete visibility through cryptographic inventory

Establishing comprehensive visibility of cryptographic assets is essential for managing complexity and provides critical insight for broader enterprise risk management.

Cryptographic asset inventory management allows for the identification and location of all cryptographic objects and associated assets, assess the effectiveness of controls and verify alignment with strategic objectives. It also facilitates determining trust levels and conducting systematic assessments of cryptographic processes, offering prioritised intelligence for strategic decision-making.

A cryptographic inventory is essential to an organisation’s trust. Without it, security decisions lack evidence.

The strategic importance of cryptographic inventory in risk management

Modern digital systems rely on cryptography not only for the traditional security triad — confidentiality, integrity and authentication — but also for a broader set of functionalities that reflect evolving requirements for trust and digital resilience.

As businesses and organisations embed cryptography into critical infrastructures, financial ecosystems and sociotechnical systems, its scope must be redefined beyond technical protection to include assurance, governance and systemic risk management.

Confidentiality: protects sensitive data from unauthorised disclosure.
Authentication: ensures entities can be verifiably identified.
Integrity: preserves the accuracy and consistency of data.
Validation and trust: enables verification of identities, processes and systems in interconnected environments.
Availability: ensures reliable access to cryptographic services and resources.
Non-repudiation and proof: provides traceability and accountability in transactions.

To know one’s cryptography is to understand the anatomy of digital trust; each key, algorithm and certificate is a heartbeat in the circulatory system of resilience.

Cryptography must be understood not merely as a technical safeguard, but as a strategic component of organisational resilience that reinforces digital trust.

By adopting this holistic view, the specialist community can more effectively coordinate research initiatives, policy and governance — anticipating emerging challenges such as post-quantum security, cryptographic agility and international regulatory compliance.