Crypto-agility for quantum readiness
F5 gives you a single platform to adopt, swap, and centrally manage PQC algorithms as NIST standards evolve – so you can be quantum-ready today, wherever your apps and APIs run.
Why crypto-agility matters now
Cryptographic standards are still evolving
NIST-standardized algorithms are here, with more on the way. Without an easy way to adopt new ciphers as they're finalized, organizations risk lock-in that makes every update a costly project.
Cryptography is deeply embedded everywhere
Encryption spans your apps, APIs, and infrastructure. PQC isn't a one-time swap; each transition brings fresh cost, risk, and the threat of outages. Crypto agility means updating distributed endpoints fast and consistently, at scale.
Interoperability is challenging
Classical and quantum-safe systems must coexist for years. Hybrid cryptography keeps them compatible, but maintaining visibility and control across mixed environments, without breaking what works, is a major operational challenge.
Adopt today's standards—and adapt to tomorrow's
Adopt NIST-standardized PQC now
F5 supports NIST-approved post-quantum algorithms across client-side and server-side encryption, so you can deploy quantum-safe protection for every app and API today.
Adapt as standards evolve
F5 simplifies the transition to PQC by supporting hybrid cryptography that blends classical algorithms (e.g., RSA and ECC) with quantum-resistant algorithms (e.g., ML-KEM). As a full proxy solution acting as an intermediary, F5 enables quantum-resistant handshakes and strong encryption, even when other devices in your stack haven't adopted PQC standards yet, giving you flexibility between security and compatibility depending on what your clients and servers support. As standards mature, you can seamlessly adopt new ciphers emerging in the NIST pipeline without disruptive architectural overhauls.
F5 simplifies the transition to PQC with hybrid ciphers
For years, organizations have relied on industry-leading F5 cryptographic solutions to protect their applications with the latest encryption algorithms. The F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform simplifies the transition to PQC by supporting hybrid ciphers that blend classical cryptographic algorithms (e.g., RSA and ECC) with quantum-resistant algorithms (e.g., ML-KEM). As a full proxy solution, F5 ADSP enables:
- Flexible compatibility - Compatibility between privacy, security, and crypto based on the ciphers supported by clients and servers
- Seamless hybrid cipher support - Hybrid support to ensure secure communication across the network
- Quantum-resistant handshakes - Strong encryption remains consistent even when other devices in your stack haven't adopted PQC standards yet
Centralize and control your PQC transition with F5 ADSP
F5 simplifies security operations with a unified platform for traffic inspection, cryptographic protocol management, and support for both classical and quantum-resistant encryption. Centralize encryption management across your entire security infrastructure, gain full visibility into encrypted traffic—even with hybrid cryptography applied during the transition—and deploy crypto-agility to offset performance impacts. The result is a strong, proactive state of PQC readiness without costly re-architecture or downtime.
Products
F5 BIG-IP
Delivers support for ML-KEM PQC ciphers, enabling hybrid cryptography and crypto-agility so you can adopt new standards as they evolve without sacrificing performance.
NGINX Plus
Enables quantum-safe security for APIs and microservices using the Open Quantum Safe provider library (oqs-provider) for OpenSSL 3.x, supporting all post-quantum algorithms from the OQS project for rapid, flexible adoption.
F5 BIG-IP SSL Orchestrator
Centralizes cryptographic management and traffic inspection, decrypting and re-encrypting data in transit while supporting PQC algorithms, making it easier to adopt and manage quantum-safe encryption across your environment.
Frequently asked questions
Crypto agility is the ability to adopt, swap, and manage cryptographic algorithms without re-architecting your applications. Standards are one driver: NIST-standardized algorithms are still maturing, and more are on the way. But crypto agility also lets you respond to shifting regulatory mandates, emerging security threats, and changing business requirements. Rather than treating each change as a disruptive, costly project, agility makes it a routine operation.
Yes. F5 supports hybrid cryptography that blends classical algorithms with quantum-resistant algorithms, enabling interoperability between classical and quantum-safe systems. Acting as a full proxy, F5 enables quantum-resistant handshakes and strong encryption even when other devices in your stack haven't adopted PQC yet, so you can transition without architectural overhauls or downtime.
F5 BIG-IP SSL Orchestrator centralizes cryptographic protocol management and traffic inspection, while BIG-IP and NGINX Plus extend NIST-standardized PQC across your apps and APIs. Together they give you centralized control and comprehensive visibility into encrypted traffic, even with hybrid cryptography applied during the transition.