Jim Zou examines quantum-safe cryptography strategy for critical infrastructure at Merit Member Conference 2026
Session will outline crypto-agility and quantum-safe protections that help reduce long-term risk and support secure network evolution
- Speakers: Jim Zou, director of global business development at Adtran
- Topics: Future-proofing with quantum cryptography
- When: Wednesday, May 13, 11:10 a.m. ET
- Where: Merit Member Conference 2026, Dearborn Inn, Dearborn, Michigan, USA https://web.cvent.com/event/e64a85dd-d6b5-4c0a-989a-b4ef75d2bc9d/summary
Quantum computing is moving from research labs into practical use, putting long-lived encrypted data at risk. Organizations that run critical infrastructure must assume adversaries can capture traffic today and decrypt it later, raising the cost of delay. The challenge is not only stronger algorithms but also interoperability across vendors, automation of key and policy management, and measurable service quality that leaders can audit. Teams need a roadmap that balances security, operational effort and ROI while protecting performance and scalability. Clear decision criteria help align stakeholders and create investment certainty as standards evolve.
In this session, Jim Zou will explain what the quantum threat means for networks that carry sensitive and mission-critical traffic. He’ll outline how quantum-safe cryptography and crypto-agility can be introduced without disrupting existing operations or partner connectivity. He’ll also highlight where optical network protection fits, and how automation supports consistent policy enforcement and faster response when standards change. Attendees will leave with practical metrics to guide decisions, including time to serve, take-up, churn risk, total cost of ownership and return on capital. The goal is a migration plan that reduces risk while keeping day-to-day delivery predictable.