At Cisco Partner Day in Schladming, Austria, zerothird and Erste Group jointly presented a practical approach to addressing one of the most pressing challenges in cybersecurity: the transition to quantum-safe infrastructure.

In front of an audience of over 300 participants, Bernardo Horta, Group CISO at Erste Group, and Lukas Helm, Head of Sales at zerothird, outlined how financial institutions are preparing for the impact of quantum computing on today’s cryptographic systems.

‍From long-term risk to present-day action

‍Quantum computing is advancing at a pace that is beginning to affect current security assumptions. Research breakthroughs and accelerated development timelines are bringing forward the point at which widely used encryption methods may become vulnerable.

For financial institutions, this is not only a technical issue, but also a regulatory and reputational one. As highlighted by Erste Group, the risk is already material due to “store now, decrypt later” attack scenarios, where encrypted data captured today may be compromised in the future.

In this context, delaying action increases both complexity and exposure. Migration timelines for cryptographic systems can span over a decade, requiring early planning and phased execution.

‍A dual approach: PQC and QKD

‍Erste Group presented a clear strategy based on combining two complementary approaches:

- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) to replace vulnerable algorithms with quantum-resistant alternatives
- Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to establish a fundamentally secure method of key exchange, based on the laws of physics rather than mathematical assumptions

While PQC addresses algorithmic vulnerabilities, QKD introduces a new security layer that is not susceptible to future advances in computing power.

‍zerothird is working with Erste Group to translate this strategy into operational infrastructure. A key initiative is the development of a quantum-secure key exchange layer between Vienna and Frankfurt, implemented as a cloud-based service.

The system architecture includes:
- Entanglement-based QKD technology enabling secure key generation
- Integration into existing data center and network environments
- A multi-node architecture to support long-distance transmission
- Delivery of quantum keys in a Key-as-a-Service (QKaaS) model for enterprise integration

Initial phases have already demonstrated successful deployment and integration within data center environments, including security validation and stable key generation under operational conditions. ‍A key takeaway from the event is that quantum-safe infrastructure cannot be developed in isolation. It requires close collaboration between financial institutions, technology providers, and public funding frameworks.

The partnership between Erste Group and zerothird demonstrates how this collaboration can be structured—from early-stage pilots to scalable, production-ready infrastructure. As quantum technologies move from research into deployment, the focus is shifting from theoretical readiness to operational execution.