On September 30, 2025, Patero Inc., a Maryland‑based pioneer in quantum‑secure communications, and Calibr8 Systems, a Filipino‑owned integrator specialising in industrial data infrastructure, announced a strategic alliance aimed at helping the Australia‑New Zealand Free Trade Area transition its critical data networks from legacy cryptography to NIST‑approved post‑quantum algorithms. The partnership will deliver cryptographic discovery and inventory services, coupled with migration pathways, to meet the rapidly tightening security mandates that governments across the region are imposing in response to the looming threat of quantum‑enabled attacks.
How Patero and Calibr8 Plan to Secure ASEAN Data
The collaboration will begin by mapping every cryptographic asset across target sectors, financial services, telecommunications, power, water, oil & gas, manufacturing and utilities, using Patero’s automated discovery platform. The system scans for vulnerable algorithms such as RSA, ECDSA and EdDSA, quantifies the risk of “harvest‑now, decrypt‑later” scenarios, and prioritises remediation based on exposure and criticality. Calibr8 will then design bespoke migration blueprints that blend classic encryption with NIST‑standardised post‑quantum primitives, ensuring that data in motion remains protected while legacy systems remain operational during the transition. By coupling discovery with a hybrid migration strategy, the alliance offers a pragmatic path that avoids costly downtime or wholesale replacement of entrenched industrial control systems.
The partnership’s focus on the Australia‑New Zealand Free Trade Area is strategic: the region’s critical infrastructure is heavily networked and largely reliant on legacy public‑key algorithms that quantum computers could break in the coming decade. By providing a turnkey solution that covers both IT and OT environments, Patero and Calibr8 aim to close the visibility gap that often blinds operators to the true scale of their cryptographic exposure.
Australia’s 2035 Deadline for Quantum‑Safe Cryptography
In December 2024, the Australian Signals Directorate updated its Information Security Manual (ISM) to make the transition to post‑quantum cryptography mandatory. The ISM now requires that all High Assurance Cryptographic Equipment (HACE), the hardware protecting secret and top‑secret data, phase out RSA, ECDSA and EdDSA by 2030, with a complete ban on these algorithms by 2035. This deadline aligns Australia’s standards with the International Organization for Standardisation’s (ISO) roadmap and ensures that Australian operators remain interoperable with allies who have adopted similar timelines.
The 2035 cut‑off is not merely a bureaucratic hurdle; it reflects the practical reality that quantum‑ready algorithms such as NTRU, Dilithium and Falcon can be integrated into existing protocols with minimal performance impact. The Australian government’s mandate forces critical infrastructure operators, power grids, rail networks, maritime logistics, to adopt these algorithms before their legacy systems become vulnerable to a quantum adversary. The alliance between Patero and Calibr8 is therefore timed to provide the technical expertise and operational support needed to meet this deadline, avoiding the risk of regulatory penalties or catastrophic security breaches.
The Philippines’ QISLaP and Elev8PH Quantum Initiatives
Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has launched two flagship programmes that signal the country’s ambition to become a regional leader in quantum technology. QISLaP, hosted at the Technological Institute of the Philippines, is a research and development hub focused on quantum information science, while Elev8PH is a national effort to elevate Philippine cybersecurity to a quantum‑safe standard. Both initiatives aim to build local expertise, foster industry‑government collaboration, and accelerate the adoption of quantum‑resistant protocols across public and private sectors.
Financial institutions and government agencies in Manila are already conducting risk assessments for “harvest‑now, decrypt‑later” attacks, a threat model that assumes adversaries will capture encrypted traffic today and decrypt it once quantum capabilities mature. The National Cybersecurity Plan underscores the urgency of quantum‑safe measures, declaring that failure to adopt post‑quantum cryptography could expose sensitive data to future decryption attacks. In this context, the partnership with Patero offers Philippine operators a proven framework for inventorying cryptographic assets, prioritising risks, and executing a migration that meets DOST’s quantum‑ready benchmarks.
“Quantum computers pose a once‑in‑a‑generation shift in how we think about data security,” said Crick Waters, CEO of Patero. , Crick Waters, CEO, Patero
“Governments are moving quickly to set timelines for post‑quantum readiness, and critical infrastructure operators cannot afford to wait. Together with Patero, we are bringing cryptographic visibility, agility, and secure migration to the markets that need it most,” added David Lim, CEO of Calibr8. , David Lim, CEO, Calibr8
Why NIST Compliance is Critical for Industrial Data
NIST’s post‑quantum cryptography standardisation process is the linchpin that ensures interoperability and security across borders. By adopting the same set of vetted algorithms, such as Kyber for key encapsulation, Dilithium for digital signatures and Falcon for post‑quantum signatures, industrial operators can guarantee that their systems remain secure against both classical and quantum adversaries. NIST compliance also simplifies supply‑chain risk management: vendors, contractors and regulators can all reference the same cryptographic baseline, reducing the likelihood of incompatible implementations that could create blind spots.
For industrial data, where latency, reliability and uptime are paramount, NIST‑approved post‑quantum solutions have been engineered to minimise performance penalties. They can be deployed in firmware, embedded in network devices or integrated into software stacks without necessitating a complete overhaul of existing infrastructure. This flexibility is why the alliance between Patero and Calibr8 emphasises a hybrid approach, retaining proven legacy encryption for backward compatibility while layering quantum‑resistant primitives to future‑proof data in motion.
In an era where a powerful quantum computer could render current public‑key systems obsolete overnight, the ability to migrate swiftly and securely is not just a competitive advantage; it is a prerequisite for national resilience. The Patero‑Calibr8 partnership, with its focus on discovery, inventory, and migration, offers a practical roadmap for operators in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines to meet the stringent timelines set by their respective governments and to safeguard the integrity of the data that powers modern economies.
The stakes are clear: delay means exposure, and exposure means the potential loss of critical infrastructure, financial assets and national security. By aligning with NIST standards and leveraging the combined expertise of Patero and Calibr8, the region can turn a looming quantum threat into an opportunity to reinforce its cyber‑defence posture, ensuring that the data that drives industry remains protected well into the quantum age.
