Quantum-Resilient Convergence: The Shared Defense of AI, Space, and Critical Infrastructure

February 2026

By David Mussington, Ph.D., CISSP, DDN QTE,

ICIT Fellow, Co-Chair, ICIT FCEB Resilience Center

The infrastructure of the 2030s is being built now.

Artificial intelligence systems are scaling across government and critical infrastructure. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are expanding rapidly. Together, they form the backbone of future national security, economic competitiveness, and operational resilience.

But as this architecture grows, so does a critical vulnerability: the coming impact of quantum computing on today’s cryptography.

In this new white paper, Dr. David Mussington argues that the window to secure the next decade remains open — but only if action begins now.

Executive Summary

If post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is treated as a retrofit after AI and space systems are fully deployed, remediation will be costly, complex, and potentially disruptive. The scale and interdependence of modern digital ecosystems make delayed action a strategic risk.

The paper calls for immediate Automated Cryptographic Discovery and Inventory (ACDI), enhanced by AI, to identify vulnerabilities and guide transition planning. More importantly, it urges leaders to embed quantum-resilient cryptographic requirements directly into current AI and LEO build-outs.

By integrating resilience now — rather than bolting it on later — organizations can transform a looming vulnerability into a defensible, quantum-ready posture.

The decisions made today will shape the security landscape of the 2030s.

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER

ICIT_Quantum-resilient-convergence_V02.pdf

Download PDF • 1.20MB

About ICIT

The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3think tank with the mission of modernizing, securing, and making resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. ICIT takes no institutional positions on policy matters. Rather than advocate, ICIT is dedicated to being a resource for the organizations and communities that share our mission. By applying a people-centric lens to critical infrastructure research and decision making, our work ensures that modernization and security investments have a lasting, positive impact on society. Learn more at www.icitech.org.