Europol's Quantum Safe Financial Forum issues a call to action
7 FEBRUARY 2025, THE HAGUE
Europol's Quantum Safe Financial Forum issued a call to action for the financial sector on 7 February 2025. The forum argues that existing EU rules, such as DORA and GDPR, already suffice to require action, and it urges firms to adopt hybrid schemes, build cryptographic inventories and invest in crypto agility.
The claim that existing rules suffice carries a clear message. DORA and GDPR already require firms to protect data and manage technology risk, which the forum reads as covering the quantum threat. That framing tells firms they need not wait for a new quantum-specific regulation to justify acting, since the legal obligation to protect data already exists.
The practical steps mirror the broad consensus. The forum urges hybrid schemes during the transition, cryptographic inventories to find where cryptography is used, and crypto agility so systems can swap algorithms later. Framing these familiar steps for the financial sector gives firms a sector-specific prompt grounded in rules they already follow.
Why it matters. The QSFF call removes a common excuse for delay by arguing that existing EU rules already require firms to address quantum risk. Its practical recommendations, hybrids, inventory and crypto agility, match what other authorities advise. Financial firms in Europe can treat the call as confirmation that DORA and GDPR give them both the reason and the basis to start their post-quantum work now.