AI–Cybersecurity Framework for the Quantum Era.pdf

Jan_Biets 6 views 120 slides Oct 17, 2025
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About This Presentation

This is a framework structure that integrates AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies under one coherent reference — the standard reference manual for the Quantum–AI–Cybersecurity Era.


Slide Content

This is a framework structure that integrates AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies under one
coherent reference — the standard reference manual for the Quantum–AI–Cybersecurity Era.

Author: Jan Biets ([email protected])


AI–Cybersecurity Framework for the Quantum Era
Comprehensive Framework, Manual & Standard Reference (2025–2040)

PART I — FOUNDATIONS OF THE QUANTUM–AI–CYBERSECURITY ERA
1. Introduction
o The convergence of AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing
o Strategic relevance for critical infrastructures
o From digital to quantum risk landscape
2. Context and Evolution
o The pre-quantum cybersecurity paradigm
o Rise of AI in digital defense
o Quantum computing breakthroughs and timeline
o Emerging regulations: NIS2, DORA, AI Act, Cyber Resilience Act
3. Core Principles
o Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability (CIA) revisited
o Quantum resilience and post-quantum cryptography (PQC)
o Ethical AI and responsible data use
o Systemic resilience in hybrid digital–quantum systems

PART II — AI IN CYBERSECURITY: CURRENT AND EMERGING ROLES
4. AI Fundamentals for Security
o Machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks
o AI-driven threat modeling
o Natural language processing (NLP) for threat intelligence
5. Applications of AI in Cybersecurity
o Intrusion detection and anomaly detection
o Automated SOC and incident response
o Threat intelligence automation
o AI in vulnerability management and patch prioritization
o AI-enabled fraud and identity management systems
6. Challenges and Risks of AI
o Adversarial AI and model poisoning
o Deepfake and synthetic identity threats
o Data bias, explainability, and auditability
o Governance of AI systems within cybersecurity
7. AI Governance and Standards
o ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management Systems)
o NIST AI Risk Management Framework
o EU AI Act compliance and audit processes
o Integration of AI governance into cybersecurity frameworks

PART III — QUANTUM COMPUTING AND ITS IMPACT ON CYBERSECURITY
8. Quantum Fundamentals
o Qubits, superposition, entanglement, decoherence

o Quantum algorithms overview (Shor, Grover, QAOA, VQE)
o Quantum communication and cryptography
9. Quantum Threats
o Shor’s algorithm and RSA/ECC decryption
o Impact on PKI, TLS, VPN, digital signatures
o Quantum-enabled attack vectors
10. Quantum-Resilient Cybersecurity
o Post-quantum cryptography (PQC): NIST algorithms
o Hybrid cryptographic systems
o Quantum key distribution (QKD)
o Migration strategies to quantum-safe systems
11. Quantum AI
o How quantum computing accelerates AI models
o Quantum machine learning (QML)
o Quantum-enhanced cybersecurity analytics
o Opportunities and challenges for threat detection

PART IV — THE INTEGRATED AI–CYBERSECURITY–QUANTUM FRAMEWORK
12. Integrated Governance Architecture
o Roles, responsibilities, and organizational design
o CISO in the quantum–AI era
o NIS2 governance integration
13. Risk Management Framework
o Quantum risk identification and assessment
o AI risk lifecycle (bias, drift, misuse)
o Combined risk scoring model (AI × Quantum × Cyber)
o Link to ISO 31000 and ISO 27005
14. Controls and Capabilities
o Technical: AI-enhanced IDS, PQC, blockchain security
o Organizational: training, awareness, culture
o Operational: SOC 2.0, DevSecOps, red teaming with AI
15. Maturity and Compliance
o Cyber maturity models (CMMI, NIST-CSF, ENISA)
o AI maturity and quantum readiness scales
o Audit mechanisms and continuous compliance

PART V — STRATEGIC DOMAINS AND SECTOR APPLICATIONS
16. Critical Infrastructure Protection
o Energy, utilities, and transport
o Smart grids and industrial IoT (OT/ICS integration)
o Healthcare and financial services
17. National Security and Sovereignty
o Quantum supremacy and geopolitical implications
o AI sovereignty and data localization
o Cyber diplomacy and international standards alignment
18. Enterprise and Cloud Environments
o AI-driven Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
o Cloud security in the post-quantum era
o Secure AI model hosting and federated learning

PART VI — IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP AND FUTURE OUTLOOK
19. Roadmap to 2030

o AI adoption in cybersecurity programs
o Transition to post-quantum encryption
o Workforce transformation and digital skills
20. Vision Beyond 2030
o Autonomous cybersecurity systems
o AI–Quantum symbiosis
o Self-healing, self-governing digital ecosystems
21. Annexes
o Glossary of key terms
o Mapping to ISO, IEC, and EU frameworks
o Case studies (EU critical operators, NIS2 implementers)
o Reference models and templates (policy, risk matrix, maturity grid)

Optional Appendices (for CISO or Program Manager Use)
• A. NIS2 × AI × Quantum Compliance Matrix
• B. Quantum Risk Register Template
• C. AI Incident Response Playbook
• D. Post-Quantum Migration Checklist
• E. Continuous Assurance Dashboard (KPIs, KRI, KCI)



Inhoud
PART I — FOUNDATIONS OF THE QUANTUM–AI–CYBERSECURITY ERA ..................................... 5
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 5
2. Context and Evolution .................................................................................................... 7
3. Core Principles ............................................................................................................... 9
PART II — AI IN CYBERSECURITY: CURRENT AND EMERGING ROLES ................ 11
4. AI Fundamentals for Security ...................................................................................... 11
5. Applications of AI in Cybersecurity ............................................................................ 13
6. Challenges and Risks of AI in Cybersecurity .............................................................. 22
7. AI Governance and Standards ...................................................................................... 25
PART III — QUANTUM COMPUTING AND ITS IMPACT ON CYBERSECURITY ...... 28
8. Quantum Fundamentals ................................................................................................ 28
9. Quantum Threats .......................................................................................................... 30
10. Quantum-Resilient Cybersecurity .............................................................................. 32
11. Quantum AI ................................................................................................................ 35
PART IV — THE INTEGRATED AI–CYBERSECURITY–QUANTUM FRAMEWORK . 38
12. Integrated Governance Architecture .......................................................................... 38
13. Risk Management Framework ................................................................................... 40
14. Controls and Capabilities ........................................................................................... 43
15. Maturity and Compliance ........................................................................................... 46

PART V — STRATEGIC DOMAINS AND SECTOR APPLICATIONS ............................. 49
16. Critical Infrastructure Protection ................................................................................ 49
17. National Security and Sovereignty ............................................................................. 54
18. Enterprise and Cloud Environments .......................................................................... 57
PART VI — IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP AND FUTURE OUTLOOK ..................... 60
19. Roadmap to 2030 ....................................................................................................... 60
20. Vision Beyond 2030 ................................................................................................... 62
21. Quantum Governance & Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Strategy ............................... 65
22. Integrated Governance Dashboard & Maturity Model............................................... 70
23. Implementation Roadmap & Change Management Plan ........................................... 74
24. Audit, Compliance & Continuous Assurance Framework ......................................... 79
25. Optional Appendices (for CISO or Program Manager Use) ...................................... 84
26. Additional explanation ............................................................................................... 87
27. Quantum & AI Impact Testing Strategy (for NIS2 Compliance) .............................. 90
28. Quantum & AI Testing Framework for NIS2 Compliance ........................................ 93
29. Executive Addenda — Strengthening the “Board Layer”.......................................... 97
Abbreviations. .................................................................................................................. 99
Annexes .......................................................................................................................... 103
FINAL CONCLUSION — DIGITAL TRUST 2035: STRATEGY, RESILIENCE &
PURPOSE .............................................................................................................................. 106
FAQ / Q&A .................................................................................................................... 108
Addendum: quantum technology affects NIS2, cybersecurity, policy, controls and
evidence .......................................................................................................................... 110
reference compendium ................................................................................................... 117

The convergence of AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing is reshaping the strategic landscape of
critical infrastructure protection, demanding a paradigm shift from digital to quantum-aware risk
management.

PART I — FOUNDATIONS OF THE QUANTUM–AI–CYBERSECURITY ERA

1. Introduction
The Convergence of AI, Cybersecurity, and Quantum Computing
The fusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Quantum Computing represents a
transformative triad in the evolution of digital technologies. Each domain independently drives
innovation, but their intersection introduces unprecedented capabilities—and even larger risks:
• AI enhances both offensive and defensive cyber operations:
o Adversaries use AI for automated reconnaissance, vulnerability discovery, and social
engineering at scale.
o Defenders deploy AI for threat detection, anomaly analysis, and predictive risk
modeling.
• Quantum computing threatens classical cryptography:
o Algorithms like Shor’s and Grover’s can break RSA, ECC, and other widely used
encryption schemes.
o The concept of “harvest now, decrypt later” means sensitive data intercepted today
could be decrypted once quantum capabilities mature.
• Cybersecurity must evolve to address both AI-driven threats and quantum vulnerabilities:
o Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) initiatives, such as NIST’s standardization of
CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium, are critical responses.
o AI can also accelerate quantum algorithm development and optimize quantum error
correction.

This convergence is not merely technical—it’s strategic. It redefines how nations and enterprises must
think about resilience, confidentiality, and trust in digital systems.

Strategic Relevance for Critical Infrastructures
Critical infrastructures—energy grids, healthcare systems, transportation networks, financial
institutions, and defense platforms—are increasingly digitized and interconnected. Their strategic
importance makes them prime targets for sophisticated cyber threats:
• AI-powered attacks can compromise operational technology (OT) systems, bypass traditional
defenses, and adapt in real time.
• Quantum decryption could expose legacy encrypted data, including control signals, medical
records, and financial transactions.
• Supply chain vulnerabilities are amplified by AI-driven automation and quantum-enabled
reverse engineering.

Governments and CISO’s face a narrowing window to act. According to recent analyses, fewer than
20% of critical infrastructure operators have initiated quantum-readiness programs. This lack of
urgency could lead to catastrophic breaches that surpass current threat models.
To mitigate these risks, strategic actions include:

• Adopting quantum-resilient cryptographic standards
• Integrating AI into security operations centers (SOCs)
• Developing hybrid defense architectures combining classical and quantum-safe protocols

From Digital to Quantum Risk Landscape
The traditional digital risk landscape—characterized by malware, phishing, and ransomware—is
evolving into a quantum-aware threat environment:
• Digital risks rely on computational limitations (e.g., brute-force infeasibility).
• Quantum risks exploit quantum supremacy to bypass those limitations.

Key shifts include:
• Cryptographic fragility : RSA-2048 and ECC may become obsolete within a decade.
• Data longevity risks : Sensitive data with long-term confidentiality requirements (e.g.,
health records, defense plans) must be protected against future quantum decryption.
• AI-quantum synergy : AI may help optimize quantum attacks or defenses, creating a
feedback loop of escalating capabilities.

Organizations must transition from reactive cybersecurity to proactive quantum resilience. This
includes:
• Quantum threat modeling
• AI-enhanced risk simulations
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration between quantum scientists, cybersecurity experts, and AI
engineers

Cybersecurity is undergoing a seismic shift—from classical defenses to AI-enhanced and quantum-
resilient architectures—driven by technological breakthroughs and regulatory mandates like NIS2,
DORA, the AI Act, and the Cyber Resilience Act.

2. Context and Evolution

The Pre-Quantum Cybersecurity Paradigm
Before quantum computing entered the threat landscape, cybersecurity relied on classical
cryptographic assumptions and layered defense models:
• Encryption standards like RSA, ECC, and AES were considered secure due to the computational
difficulty of factoring large integers or solving discrete logarithms.
• Defense-in-depth strategies combined firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), endpoint
protection, and network segmentation.
• Security operations centers (SOCs) operated reactively, triaging alerts and responding to
known threat signatures.
• Compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, GDPR, and NIST guided risk management and data
protection.
This paradigm assumed that adversaries were limited by classical computing power. However, the
emergence of quantum computing threatens to upend these assumptions by making previously
intractable problems solvable in polynomial time.

Rise of AI in Digital Defense
AI has revolutionized cybersecurity by shifting from reactive to proactive defense:
• Generative AI (GenAI) automates alert triage, incident reporting, and threat actor profiling,
reducing analyst fatigue.
• Agentic AI introduces autonomous systems capable of reasoning, planning, and executing
security tasks with minimal human oversight.
• Machine learning (ML) models detect anomalies, reverse-engineer malware, and predict
vulnerabilities based on historical data.
• Natural language processing (NLP) enhances phishing detection and threat intelligence
parsing.
AI also democratizes expertise: junior analysts can query threat databases using natural language,
while multi-agent systems coordinate detection, containment, and remediation.
However, AI introduces new risks:
• Model poisoning and adversarial attacks can compromise AI integrity.
• Bias amplification in threat detection may lead to unfair targeting.
• Autonomous misjudgments require human oversight and ethical safeguards.
Quantum Computing Breakthroughs and Timeline
Quantum computing is transitioning from theoretical promise to practical threat:
• Shor’s algorithm breaks RSA and ECC by efficiently factoring large integers.
• Grover’s algorithm weakens symmetric encryption like AES by reducing brute-force
complexity.
• Quantum supremacy milestones:
o Google’s Sycamore (2019) performed a task in 200 seconds that would take classical
supercomputers 10,000 years.

o D-Wave’s annealing systems simulate materials in minutes that would take classical
systems millennia.
o IonQ and Rigetti have released multi-chip quantum processors with reduced error
rates.
Timeline estimates:
• Quantum decryption of RSA-2048 could occur by 2034–2044, with a 17–79% probability.
• NIST finalized four post-quantum cryptographic algorithms in 2024, including CRYSTALS-Kyber
and Dilithium.
• Real-world deployments of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Random Number
Generators (QRNG) are underway in finance, telecom, and consumer electronics.
The threat is no longer hypothetical—“harvest now, decrypt later” attacks are already occurring,
where encrypted data is stockpiled for future quantum decryption.


Emerging Regulations: NIS2, DORA, AI Act, Cyber Resilience Act
The EU is responding with a wave of regulations to future-proof digital resilience:
NIS2 (Network and Information Security Directive 2)
• Applies to essential and important entities across energy, transport, health, ICT, and public
administration.
• Requires risk management, incident reporting, and board-level accountability.
• Member States must transpose by October 2024, but many are delayed.
DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act)
• Targets financial institutions, mandating ICT risk frameworks, resilience testing, and third-
party risk management.
• Enforces incident classification, reporting, and crypto-agility for post-quantum threats.
AI Act
• Classifies AI systems by risk level; high-risk systems face lifecycle security obligations.
• Mandates protection against data/model poisoning, adversarial attacks, and confidentiality
breaches.
• Requires continuous monitoring, DevSecOps pipelines, and interdisciplinary governance
teams.

Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)
• Applies to products with digital elements, including commercialized open-source software.
• Enforces secure development, vulnerability handling, and lifecycle updates.
• Full compliance required by 2027, with reporting obligations starting in 2026.
Together, these regulations form a multi-layered compliance matrix that demands crypto-agility, AI
governance, and quantum resilience.

Cybersecurity’s foundational principles—Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability—are being
redefined by quantum threats, AI ethics, and hybrid digital–quantum architectures. Organizations
must embrace post-quantum cryptography, responsible AI governance, and systemic resilience to
secure the future.
3. Core Principles

Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability (CIA) Revisited
The CIA triad remains the bedrock of cybersecurity, but its application must evolve:
• Confidentiality: Ensures sensitive data is accessible only to authorized entities. In the AI era,
this includes:
o Preventing unauthorized access by AI agents to sensitive datasets.
o Enforcing least privilege and data anonymization in AI training and inference.
o Protecting against quantum decryption of encrypted data.
• Integrity: Guarantees data accuracy and trustworthiness.
o AI systems must be protected from model poisoning, data manipulation, and
adversarial inputs.
o Quantum systems introduce new risks to data fidelity due to quantum noise and error
propagation.
• Availability: Ensures systems and data are accessible when needed.
o AI-enhanced systems must maintain uptime while managing automated threat
responses.
o Quantum systems require redundant classical backups due to potential instability or
decoherence.
The triad now demands cross-domain enforcement, where digital, AI, and quantum systems are
interlinked and interdependent.

Quantum Resilience and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
Quantum resilience refers to the ability of systems to withstand quantum-enabled attacks. The
cornerstone is Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC):
• Why PQC matters:
o Quantum computers running Shor’s algorithm can break RSA, ECC, and Diffie-
Hellman.
o Grover’s algorithm weakens symmetric encryption like AES, requiring longer key
lengths.
• NIST’s PQC standards (2024–2025):
o ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber) : Key exchange.
o ML-DSA (CRYSTALS-Dilithium) : Digital signatures.
o SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+) and FN-DSA (FALCON): Signature schemes.
• Transition strategies:
o Hybrid cryptography : Combine classical and quantum-safe algorithms.
o Crypto-agility : Design systems to swap algorithms without major
reengineering.
o Quantum-safe readiness index: Assess migration progress across discovery,
observability, and transformation.
• Global urgency:

o EU, UK, and US agencies recommend PQC adoption by 2030–2035.
o “Harvest now, decrypt later” attacks are already occurring.

Ethical AI and Responsible Data Use
AI’s power must be matched by ethical safeguards:
• Privacy vs. Security:
o AI systems often require vast datasets, risking surveillance creep and data misuse.
o Organizations must implement data minimization, anonymization, and synthetic data
strategies.
• Bias and fairness:
o AI models trained on biased data can lead to discriminatory outcomes in threat
detection or access control.
o Use auditable datasets, bias mitigation techniques, and human-in-the-loop oversight.
• Transparency and accountability:
o Deep learning models are often black boxes.
o Implement explainable AI (XAI) and dual-AI auditing systems to validate decisions.
• Regulatory alignment:
o Comply with GDPR, AI Act, and emerging AI ethics frameworks.
o Update privacy notices to reflect AI data usage and offer opt-out mechanisms.
Ethical AI is not a constraint—it’s a trust enabler and a strategic differentiator.


Systemic Resilience in Hybrid Digital–Quantum Systems
Hybrid systems combine classical digital infrastructure with quantum capabilities. Ensuring resilience
requires:
• Interoperability:
o Develop middleware and translation protocols to bridge digital and quantum systems.
o Ensure data integrity across quantum–classical boundaries.
• Cybersecurity architecture:
o Deploy quantum-safe cryptography for digital systems.
o Use Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for secure quantum communications.
• Governance frameworks:
o Define legal boundaries for quantum use in surveillance, finance, and defense.
o Promote ethical norms, inclusive access, and global standards.
• Socio-economic inclusion:
o Invest in workforce reskilling, regional innovation hubs, and public–private
partnerships.
o Avoid concentration of quantum capabilities among a few actors.
Hybrid resilience is not just technical—it’s strategic, ethical, and geopolitical.

AI is revolutionizing cybersecurity by enabling intelligent threat detection, predictive modeling, and
real-time response. Machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, and NLP are the foundational
pillars driving this transformation.


PART II — AI IN CYBERSECURITY: CURRENT AND EMERGING ROLES
4. AI Fundamentals for Security
Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Neural Networks

Machine Learning (ML) is the backbone of AI in cybersecurity. It enables systems to learn from data
and improve over time without being explicitly programmed. ML techniques are used for:
• Intrusion detection : Identifying anomalies in network traffic or user behavior.
• Malware classification : Differentiating between benign and malicious files.
• Phishing detection : Recognizing deceptive emails and URLs.
Types of ML algorithms:
• Supervised learning : Uses labeled data to train models (e.g., spam detection).
• Unsupervised learning : Finds hidden patterns in unlabeled data (e.g., anomaly detection).
• Reinforcement learning : Learns optimal actions through trial and error (e.g., adaptive firewall
tuning).
Deep Learning (DL) is a subset of ML that uses multi-layered neural networks to extract complex
patterns from large datasets. DL excels in:
• Behavioral analysis : Understanding user and system behavior over time.
• Zero-day threat detection: Identifying previously unseen attack vectors.
• Image and voice recognition: Useful in biometric authentication and deepfake detection.
Neural Networks simulate the human brain’s structure:
• Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs): Ideal for image-based threat detection.
• Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM): Effective for
sequential data like logs and network flows.
• Transformer models: Power modern AI systems like BERT and GPT for contextual
understanding.

These models enable real-time, adaptive, and scalable security solutions, outperforming traditional
rule-based systems.

AI-Driven Threat Modeling
Threat modeling is the process of identifying potential threats, vulnerabilities, and attack paths. AI
enhances this by:
• Automating threat identification: AI scans systems and networks to detect weak points.
• Predictive analytics : ML models forecast likely attack vectors based on historical data.
• Dynamic risk scoring : AI assigns risk levels to assets and users based on behavior and
exposure.
Emerging frameworks:
• FedLLMGuard : Combines federated learning and large language models (LLMs) for
real-time, privacy-preserving threat detection in 5G networks.
• Agentic AI : Autonomous agents that simulate attacker behavior to test defenses.

• Adversarial modeling : Uses generative AI to mimic sophisticated attack strategies.
AI-driven threat modeling enables continuous, context-aware defense, reducing reliance on static
rules and manual assessments.


Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Threat Intelligence
NLP allows machines to understand and process human language, making it invaluable for
cybersecurity:
• Threat report analysis : NLP extracts Indicators of Compromise (IoCs), tactics, and threat
actor profiles from unstructured text.
• Dark web monitoring : NLP scans forums and marketplaces for emerging threats.
• Automated alert triage : NLP classifies and prioritizes alerts based on severity and context.
Key techniques:
• Named Entity Recognition (NER): Identifies malware names, IPs, and vulnerabilities.
• Topic modeling: Discovers emerging threat themes.
• Sentiment analysis : Detects urgency or hostility in communications.
Advanced models:
• Transformer-based architectures (e.g., BERT): Achieve high accuracy in extracting contextual
threat data.
• Multilingual NLP: Enables global threat intelligence across languages.
NLP transforms raw textual data into actionable insights, accelerating response times and enhancing
situational awareness.

AI is transforming cybersecurity operations by automating detection, response, intelligence gathering,
and identity protection. Its applications span from real-time anomaly detection to predictive patching
and fraud prevention.

A deep, practical, and highly detailed expansion of Section 5: Applications of AI in Cybersecurity. I
cover each sub-topic end-to-end: what it is, how it works, data & model choices, architecture and
integration patterns, operationalization (MLOps), KPIs, security/attack surface, mitigation techniques,
controls & checklists, compliance mapping (NIS2 / AI Act / ISO), and short playbooks or templates you
can drop into your program.

5. Applications of AI in Cybersecurity
Executive summary
AI is now a core enabler for modern cybersecurity: it improves detection accuracy, reduces time-to-
detect and response, prioritizes vulnerabilities, automates repetitive tasks, and enriches threat
intelligence. But AI also introduces new attack surfaces (model poisoning, evasion, data leakage) and
governance requirements (“explainability”, audits). Each application area below includes prescriptive
implementation and operational guidance so you can deploy AI safely, measurably, and in line with
NIS2 obligations.

5.1 Intrusion Detection and Anomaly Detection
What it is
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): identify malicious network or host behavior (signatures +
anomaly).
• Anomaly Detection: ML models that learn “normal” behavior baselines and flag deviations
(unsupervised / semi-supervised / supervised).
Primary use cases
• Detect lateral movement in networks (IT → OT leakage).
• Identify novel malware or unknown attacks (zero-day).
• Detect compromised accounts (credential stuffing, session hijack).
• Detect data exfiltration and stealthy command-and-control.
Data required
• Network telemetry: NetFlow/IPFIX, packet captures (pcap), TLS metadata.
• Endpoint telemetry: process starts, file hashes, registry changes, loaded modules.
• Authentication logs: login attempts, geolocation, device fingerprint.
• Application logs, API calls, database queries, OT telemetry (SCADA logs).
• Enrichment data: threat intel (IOC lists, domain reputations), asset context (business
criticality).

Model types and algorithms
• Unsupervised / Semi-supervised:
o Autoencoders, Variational Autoencoders (VAE)
o Isolation Forest
o One-Class SVM
o Clustering (DBSCAN, k-means) for flow grouping
• Supervised (requires labeled attacks):

o Random Forest, Gradient Boosting (XGBoost/LightGBM)
o Deep learning: CNN on byte sequences, RNN/LSTM on time series
• Hybrid / Graph-based:
o Graph Neural Networks (GNN) for user-device-asset graphs
o Time-series models: Prophet, LSTM, Temporal Convolutional Networks
• Streaming & online learning:
o Online learning algorithms (Vowpal Wabbit, River) to adapt in real time

Architecture & integration
• Data pipeline: Collect → Enrich → Feature store → Model scoring → Alerting.
• Placement:
o Network: NDR (Network Detection & Response) appliance with inline or mirror port.
o Endpoint: EDR agents streaming telemetry to cloud/SIEM.
o Hybrid: On-prem pre-processing for bandwidth/privacy; cloud for heavy model
scoring.
• Components:
o Message bus (Kafka) for high-throughput telemetry
o Feature store (Redis/Feast) with fast lookup
o Model inference layer (KFServing/Triton or scalable microservices)
o SIEM/SOAR for incident orchestration

Operationalization (MLOps)
• Model registry (artifact storage + metadata + model card)
• CI/CD for models: training pipeline, evaluation, validation, canary release
• Retraining cadence: defined (weekly/monthly) and triggered (concept drift detected)
• Drift detection: statistical tests (KS-test) and data distribution monitoring
• Performance validation with labeled test sets and simulated attacks (red team datasets)

Metrics and KPIs
• Detection metrics: Precision, Recall, F1-score, ROC-AUC (over labeled test set)
• Operational metrics: MTTD (Mean Time To Detect), False Positive Rate (FPR), False Negative
Rate (FNR)
• Business metrics: % of critical assets monitored, % alerts auto-handled, SOC analyst time
saved

Security risks & mitigations (model-specific)
• Poisoning: training data contamination → detect via data provenance checks, input validation,
and anomaly detection on training inputs.
• Evasion / adversarial examples: use adversarial training, ensemble models, input sanitization.
• Model theft/IP leakage: harden model APIs with rate limiting, auth, and watermarking.
• Data privacy: use anonymization, differential privacy for training on sensitive logs.

Controls / Best practices checklist
• Inventory: list all models, data sources, owners (Model Registry).
• Provenance: cryptographic hashes for training datasets; immutable logs.
• Explainability: integrate SHAP/LIME outputs into analyst view for each alert.
• Human-in-the-loop: require analyst confirmation for high-impact automated responses.
• Regular red-team & adversarial testing.
• Test data refresh & synthetic data generation for rare attack types.

Example detection playbook (on anomaly alert)
1. Score anomaly and attach context (asset, user, previous alerts).

2. Present explainability (top contributing features) to analyst.
3. Analyst triage → if confirmed: create incident ticket & execute SOAR playbook.
4. Automated containment options: isolate endpoint, block IP (with human approval for high-
impact).
5. Root cause analysis + update model dataset if attack pattern is new.
Mapping to standards & NIS2
• Align detection coverage to Article 21 requirements (incident handling/detection).
• Use ISO/IEC 27035 for incident management process integration.
• AI governance (ISO/IEC 42001) for model lifecycle & documentation.

5.2 Automated SOC and Incident Response

What it is
• Automated SOC: use AI to triage, prioritize, enrich alerts and propose/execute containment
actions.
• SOAR: Security Orchestration, Automation and Response integrated with AI for decisioning.

Capabilities
• Triage: reduce alert noise; group alerts into incidents.
• Enrichment: automatically add threat intel, asset risk, recent user activity.
• Orchestration: trigger scripted containment (block IP, quarantine host).
• Playbook automation: conditional logic that includes human approval thresholds.

Data & context needed
• Alert stream from SIEM, IDS/EDR, NDR
• Asset inventory, vulnerability database, business criticality tags
• Past incident history (to inform playbook choices)
• Role-based permissions for automated actions

AI components used
• Alert classification (supervised models)
• Alert clustering (unsupervised clustering)
• Risk scoring (ensemble feature-based scoring)
• NLP for parsing unstructured alerts/tickets & mapping to playbooks

Integration architecture
• SIEM/NDR/EDR → AI triage engine → SOAR → Execution (Network Policy Controller, Firewall
API, Endpoint Manager)
• Analyst UI showing confidence scores, highlighted features, and recommended playbook steps
• Escalation pathways (automated vs manual)

Operational patterns & MLOps
• Define deterministic fallback procedures if AI unavailable
• Canary automation: run new automated playbook in “recommend-only” mode first
• Audit trail: all automated actions must be logged for audit & rollback
• Test schedule: weekly simulation tests and full-scale tabletop exercises quarterly

KPIs
• % of alerts auto-closed by AI correctly
• Reduction in analyst mean time spent per incident
• % playbooks executed without manual escalation

• False automation rate (automation led to incorrect action)

Security and governance
• Strict RBAC for automation actions; require multi-person approval for high-impact actions
• Safe mode: if model confidence is below threshold, human decision required
• Immutable logs and replay capability (for forensic)

Example SOAR playbook snippet for ransomware
• Trigger: EDR detects file encryption activity + beaconing to C2
• AI Triage: classify severity = high, confidence 0.92
• Automated steps:
1. Quarantine host (automatic)
2. Block outbound C2 IP at perimeter (human approval for ISP-level blocks)
3. Snapshot forensic image of endpoint
4. Notify Incident Response team, open incident ticket with contextual evidence
• Post-incident: update ML dataset with confirmed indicators

Mapping to NIS2 & controls
• Ensure incident notification timelines (NIS2 Art. 23): AI-driven detection should support
notification within legal timeframes.
• Compliance with ISO/IEC 27035 incident handling and ITIL incident/change workflows.


5.3 Threat Intelligence Automation
What it is
• Use of AI/NLP to ingest, parse and enrich threat data (dark web feeds, malware reports, IoCs),
correlate with internal telemetry and produce prioritized, actionable intel.

Key features
• Automated ingestion & normalization of structured and unstructured feeds
• Entity extraction (IOC, TTPs) with NLP
• Attribution scoring and contextual enrichment with asset mapping
• Predictive threat forecasting (which TTPs likely to target you next)

Data sources
• Public feeds (MISP, VirusTotal, CERT advisories)
• Commercial feeds (paid intel)
• Open-source (OSINT), dark web crawls
• Internal telemetry (alerts, endpoint detections)

Models/techniques
• NLP pipelines: named entity recognition, relation extraction, semantic clustering
• Graph analysis: construct threat graphs (actor → malware → IOC → target)
• Time-series forecasting for threat trends
• Similarity search (embedding-based) for matching new IoCs to known families

Architecture pattern
• Ingestors → NLP pipeline (spaCy/transformer models) → Threat Graph DB (Neo4j) →
Enrichment microservices → Analyst dashboard / SIEM ingestion

Operationalization

• Normalization & TLP tagging (Traffic Light Protocol) for sharing constraints
• Confidence scoring & kill-chain mapping (MITRE ATT&CK alignment)
• Automation rules to block or flag IoCs (e.g., firewall block lists updated from high-confidence
intel)

KPIs
• Time-to-enrich (from feed to actionable IOC)
• % of intel that leads to prevention actions
• False positives on intel-driven automated blocks

Security & validation
• Use multiple corroborating sources before automated blocking to avoid false blocks
• Maintain provenance and time-of-observation metadata for each IOC

Controls & best practices
• Threat intel sharing policies, legal review for dark web ingestion
• Reputational scoring engine that weights sources
• Periodic back-testing of predictive models against actual incidents

Mapping to NIS2
• Supply threat intel into incident detection & reporting workflows; supports "assessment of
measures" (Article 21 effectiveness).


5.4 AI in Vulnerability Management and Patch Prioritization
What it is
• Use AI to prioritize remediation by predicting exploitability, business impact, and attack
likelihood — moving beyond CVSS-only prioritization.

Inputs required
• Vulnerability feeds (NVD), vendor advisories, CVE/CVSS
• Asset inventory with business criticality, network topology, exposure (internet-facing, cloud)
• Threat intelligence: active exploit info
• Past incidents and successful exploit patterns
• Configuration management data (patch level, installed software)

Models & techniques
• Supervised models trained on historical exploit data (features: CVSS, exploit availability, age,
vendor, asset exposure)
• Graph-based attack path analysis (attack paths from internet → vulnerable asset)
• Reinforcement learning for optimal patch scheduling under resource constraints
• Bayesian models for probability of exploit in timeframe

Outputs
• Prioritized remediation list with risk score and recommended SLA (critical / high / medium)
• Suggested compensating controls when patching not possible (micro-segmentation, WAF
rules)
• Simulation of patching order impact on overall risk reduction

Architecture
• Integrate with vulnerability scanners, CMDB, ITSM ticketing systems

• Dashboard showing “risk reduction per patch” and resource-optimized plan

Operationalization (workflow)
• Daily ingestion of new vulnerabilities → model scoring → human analyst validation → ticket
creation & SLA assignment
• Patch validation tests in canary groups before full roll-out
• Post-patch verification and rollback plans

KPIs
• Time-to-patch for critical vulnerabilities
• % of highest-risk vulnerabilities remediated within SLA
• Residual risk reduction per patch cycle

Risks & mitigations
• Model bias: training data skew can deprioritize critical but rare assets — enforce business-
override capability
• False negatives: ensure manual review for critical-scope assets
• Attackers may try to poison vulnerability data feeds → validate feed integrity

Controls & checklists
• Map vulnerability model outputs to IT asset owners for rapid action
• Maintain separate test and production environments for patch rollouts
• Maintain an “exception register” where patching is delayed, with compensating controls and
review cadence

NIS2 alignment
• Helps satisfy Article 21 obligations about operational security and resilience (patching controls
& risk-based approach).


5.5 AI-enabled Fraud and Identity Management Systems
What it is
• AI systems that detect and prevent fraud, automate identity verification, enable adaptive
authentication and behavioral biometrics.

Key use cases
• Real-time transaction fraud detection (finance, payments)
• Account takeover detection
• Continuous authentication using behavioral biometrics (typing speed, mouse movement)
• Identity proofing (document verification via OCR + liveness detection)

Data needed
• Transaction logs, session metadata, geolocation, device fingerprints
• Historical fraud labels/annotations
• Identity documents (images) — with privacy & legal constraints
• Behavioral telemetry for baseline user patterns

Models & algorithms
• Supervised classification (XGBoost, neural networks) for transactional fraud
• Sequence models (LSTM, Transformer) for session-level behavior
• Siamese networks or metric learning for identity verification

• One-class or anomaly models for continuous authentication

Architecture & integration
• Real-time scoring engine for fraud with strict latency SLAs
• Integration with Identity Providers, Access Management (IAM), payment gateways
• Privacy-preserving measures: local inference on device where possible, use of federated
learning

Operationalization & MLOps
• Drift detection for user behavior changes
• Threshold tuning by risk level (e.g., high-value transactions need stricter thresholds)
• A/B testing for new models in production and monitoring for bias/unintended discrimination

KPIs
• Fraud detection rate (Recall), false positive rate (customer friction)
• Conversion rates post-challenge (UX metric)
• Account takeover incidents

Security & compliance risks
• Privacy: imaging PII for identity verification — implement data minimization, retention limits,
encryption at rest/transit
• Bias & discrimination: ensure fairness testing; certain populations should not be unfairly
blocked
• Model inversion: stolen models might reveal identity features → protect model access

Controls & best practices
• Explainability for declined transactions (customer-facing reasons)
• Manual review queue for borderline cases with SLA
• Regulatory compliance checks (KYC/AML) integrated with AI outputs

NIS2 / AI Act mapping
• Fraud detection systems that impact services fall under NIS2 operator obligations and may be
high-risk AI systems under the AI Act — ensure transparency and documentation.


Cross-cutting topics (applies to all the above applications)
Data governance & labeling
• Maintain authoritative data sources and a schema registry.
• Labeling standards and label governance (who can label, QC steps).
• Synthetic data generation for rare attacks (faux ransomware traces).

Explainability & analyst trust
• Integrate explanations into analyst UI (top features, sample similar incidents).
• Provide “why” and “confidence” to reduce blind trust: always present top reasons for
classification and suggested next steps.

Model lifecycle & artifact management
• Model card per model: purpose, dataset, metrics, limitations, owner, retraining schedule.
• Feature store and reproducibility: every inference must map to stored feature vectors.

Compliance, auditability & logging

• Immutable logs (append-only) for training data, model versions, inference decisions (who
approved automated actions).
• Audit pack for regulators: dataset snapshots, validation reports, drift logs.

Red-team & continuous verification
• Routine adversarial testing: query-based evasion, poisoning scenarios, and model extraction
attempts.
• Tabletop exercises that include AI-failure scenarios (model misclassification causing wrong
containment).

Supply chain & vendor assessment
• Vendors providing ML models or threat intelligence must provide:
o Model provenance & training dataset description
o Security attestations (SBOM for models/code)
o Patch and vulnerability handling SLA

Human factors: training & SOC augmentation
• Train analysts to interpret AI outputs and challenge them; include false-negative case study
reviews.
• Define escalation ladders for AI recommendations.

Incident reporting (NIS2)
• When AI detects or automates an action leading to service degradation, ensure correct NIS2
reporting and documentation (timestamps, decisions, RACI).

Templates & Practical Artifacts
1) Model Card Template (high-level fields)
• Model Name / ID
• Owner & Contact
• Purpose & Scope
• Training Data Sources (high-level)
• Date Trained / Version
• Key Performance Metrics (Precision/Recall/AUC)
• Operational Constraints & Known Limitations
• Retraining Policy
• Security Considerations (adversarial risk)
• Compliance Category (EU AI Act level)
• Link to artifacts: model binary, test set, explainability report

2) KPI Dashboard layout (recommended widgets)
• Top: MTTD, MTTR, % Auto-closed alerts
• Left: Detection performance (Precision/Recall over time)
• Middle: Model health (drift score, inference latency)
• Right: Vulnerability prioritization impact (risk reduction chart)

RACI example for AI detection → automated response
Activity Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed
Model design & validation ML Engineer
Head of ML
Security
SOC Lead CISO
Production deployment MLOps Engineer CTO SOC Compliance

Activity Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed
Automated containment
policy
SOC Lead CISO Legal
Board (if
major)
Incident review
Incident Response
Team
CISO
ML
Owner
Exec comms

Final operational checklist (Quickstart for a new AI detection deployment)
1. Inventory : Publish list of data sources and models to register.
2. Baseline : Capture two weeks of baseline telemetry for training/validation (sanitized).
3. Select models : Choose unsupervised for initial anomaly detection; supervised as labeled
attacks accumulate.
4. Explainability : Integrate SHAP or similar so every alert shows top 5 contributing features.
5. Human-in-loop : No automated network-level blocking until pilot threshold metrics met.
6. Security : Harden model endpoints, apply authentication & rate limiting; sign models.
7. DR & rollback : Implement canary and immediate rollback if false positive spike occurs.
8. Metrics : Start tracking MTTD and analyst time saved weekly.

Closing recommendations & next steps
1. Start small, measure fast: deploy pilot anomaly detection on a limited subset (critical servers)
with recommend-only mode.
2. Build model & data governance: model registry, data provenance, retraining policy, and
explainability artifacts before scaling.
3. Integrate with SOC workflows: analyst UI, SOAR playbooks, and clear human-automation
decision boundaries.
4. Test adversarial resilience: schedule monthly adversarial & poisoning simulations and
incorporate lessons.
5. Map to NIS2 : ensure AI outputs feed incident reporting and that governance artifacts align
to Article 21 requirements.

6. Challenges and Risks of AI in Cybersecurity
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides transformative capabilities for cybersecurity — enabling
faster detection, predictive analytics, and automated response — it also introduces a new set of
operational, ethical, and systemic risks. These challenges must be managed proactively through
governance frameworks, resilient architectures, and continuous assurance mechanisms.

6.1 Adversarial AI and Model Poisoning
Definition and Context:
Adversarial AI refers to the deliberate manipulation of machine learning (ML) models or datasets to
mislead, degrade, or subvert their decision-making accuracy. In cybersecurity systems, this threat is
particularly concerning as attackers may exploit AI models used for threat detection, biometric
verification, or anomaly recognition.
Types of Attacks:
• Evasion attacks : Adversaries craft malicious inputs (e.g., malware samples, network packets)
that appear legitimate to the AI model, bypassing detection.
Example: Slightly modified malware signatures that evade an AI-based antivirus engine.
• Poisoning attacks: Attackers contaminate training datasets with corrupted or mislabeled
samples, causing the model to “learn” incorrect correlations.
Example: Inserting malicious traffic patterns during model retraining to bias future detection.
• Model extraction attacks: Through repeated queries, attackers reconstruct or infer model
parameters, enabling reverse engineering of proprietary AI systems.
Implications:
• Loss of trust in automated defense mechanisms.
• Compromised data integrity and false security alerts.
• Potential regulatory breaches under NIS2, GDPR, and AI Act when integrity of automated
systems is questioned.
Mitigation Strategies:
• Robust model training with adversarial samples and red-teaming of AI models.
• Zero-trust model updates: Strict version control, signed model distribution, and isolation of
training environments.
• Explainable AI (XAI) tools to continuously validate decisions and identify anomalies in AI
outputs.

6.2 Deepfake and Synthetic Identity Threats
Definition and Context:
Deepfake technology leverages AI-generated media (audio, image, video, or text) to impersonate
individuals or create synthetic identities. In cybersecurity, these threats target both digital trust and
authentication systems.
Examples of Impact:
• Business Email Compromise (BEC) using cloned voice or video of executives.
• Synthetic identities used to bypass KYC (Know Your Customer) or digital onboarding systems.
• Information warfare and misinformation targeting public trust, especially within critical
infrastructure sectors.
Risks:
• Erosion of identity assurance and digital trust frameworks.
• Social engineering at scale, undermining employee awareness training.

• Legal and reputational exposure when AI-generated misinformation spreads through
corporate channels.
Countermeasures:
• AI-driven deepfake detection using multimodal verification (voiceprint, micro-expression
analysis, watermarking).
• Continuous identity assurance via behavioral biometrics instead of static credentials.
• Integration of blockchain or digital signature mechanisms for authenticity verification in
multimedia.

6.3 Data Bias, Explainability, and Auditability
Bias in AI Models:
AI systems reflect the data they are trained on. In cybersecurity, biased datasets can lead to false
positives or blind spots, especially when models are skewed toward specific attack types, languages, or
regions.
Examples:
• A phishing detection AI trained on English-language emails might fail to detect French or
Arabic attacks.
• Network anomaly models trained in a specific IT environment may flag normal OT
(Operational Technology) behavior as threats.
Explainability Challenges:
AI-based cybersecurity systems often function as “black boxes.” Without explainability, it becomes
difficult for analysts, auditors, and regulators to understand why a specific alert or decision was made
— complicating accountability under NIS2 Article 21(2)(d), which requires transparency and
traceability of controls.
Auditability and Compliance:
• Lack of documented model lineage (training data, hyperparameters, update cycles)
complicates compliance verification.
• In regulated environments (energy, healthcare, finance), non-explainable AI systems may fail
audits or certification under ISO 27001, ISO 42001 (AI Management), or IEC 62443 (industrial
cybersecurity).
Recommendations:
• Embed Explainable AI (XAI) layers into cybersecurity tools for interpretability.
• Maintain AI model audit trails including data sources, algorithm versions, and validation
reports.
• Perform ethical and fairness assessments prior to AI deployment in operational systems.

6.4 Governance of AI Systems within Cybersecurity
Need for AI Governance:
AI-driven cybersecurity systems operate at the intersection of automation, ethics, and compliance.
Without a governance structure, organizations risk losing control, accountability, and traceability over
AI-driven decisions — especially in high-stakes environments such as utilities, telecommunications, or
financial systems.
Governance Domains:
1. Strategic Alignment:
Ensure AI cybersecurity initiatives align with the organization’s risk appetite, digital strategy,
and regulatory obligations (NIS2, GDPR, AI Act).
2. Operational Oversight:
Establish an AI Cybersecurity Governance Board responsible for approving AI models,
evaluating ethical risks, and overseeing operational drift.

3. Risk & Compliance Integration:
Link AI risk management with enterprise GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) systems.
Use recognized standards:
o ISO/IEC 23894 (AI Risk Management)
o NIST AI Risk Management Framework (RMF)
o ENISA AI Threat Landscape Reports
4. Accountability and Human Oversight:
Maintain “human-in-the-loop” decision control for all critical cybersecurity decisions —
especially those impacting service continuity, access rights, or public safety.
5. Lifecycle Management:
Implement structured model lifecycle governance: design → validation → deployment →
monitoring → decommissioning.
Align with DevSecOps principles for traceable, secure, and auditable AI integration.

Conclusion
AI introduces transformative capabilities and systemic vulnerabilities in cybersecurity. The balance
between innovation and control hinges on trustworthy AI, rigorous governance, and resilience-by-
design principles. In the context of NIS2 and emerging quantum computing threats, organizations
must treat AI as both a strategic enabler and a critical risk domain — requiring continuous validation,
ethical transparency, and multi-layered defense mechanisms.



.

.

7. AI Governance and Standards
As Artificial Intelligence becomes a foundational enabler of digital transformation and cybersecurity
automation, the need for formal governance, standardization, and accountability has become a
regulatory and operational priority.
This section outlines the core governance frameworks and standards — ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF,
the EU AI Act — and their integration within existing cybersecurity and NIS2 compliance frameworks.

7.1 ISO/IEC 42001: Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS)
Overview:
The ISO/IEC 42001:2023 standard establishes the world’s first management system framework
dedicated to AI governance and operational control. It mirrors the logic of ISO/IEC 27001 (Information
Security Management Systems) but focuses on trustworthy, ethical, and traceable AI operations.
Purpose:
To enable organizations to design, deploy, and monitor AI systems responsibly, ensuring that they
meet applicable laws, ethical principles, and risk expectations throughout the AI lifecycle.
Core Components:
1. Context and Scope of the AIMS:
Identification of internal and external AI-related risks, stakeholders, and applicable regulatory
contexts (e.g., NIS2, GDPR, AI Act).
2. Leadership and Accountability:
o Clear assignment of AI governance roles (e.g., AI Ethics Officer, Model Owner, Risk
Manager).
o Definition of escalation and oversight mechanisms for AI incidents.
3. Planning and Risk Management:
o Integration of AI risk assessments into enterprise GRC (Governance, Risk &
Compliance) systems.
o Continuous improvement loops (Plan–Do–Check–Act).
o Alignment with ISO/IEC 23894 (AI risk management principles).
4. Operational Controls:
o Lifecycle management of AI models (from design to decommissioning).
o Documentation of data provenance, training sources, and retraining policies.
o Versioning and traceability for explainability and audits.
5. Evaluation and Continuous Improvement:
o Periodic internal audits and management reviews.
o Quantitative performance indicators (e.g., fairness, accuracy, latency, explainability).
o Integration of AI incidents into the organization’s security incident response
procedures.

Relevance to Cybersecurity and NIS2:
An ISO/IEC 42001-certified organization demonstrates operational maturity, governance, and
compliance-by-design — key criteria for NIS2 readiness under Articles 21 and 23 (risk management,
supply chain, and supervision).

7.2 NIST AI Risk Management Framework (NIST AI RMF)
Overview:
Developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, the NIST AI RMF (2023)
provides a non-regulatory but globally recognized framework for managing risks associated with AI

systems. It is designed to complement both ISO standards and regulatory requirements such as the EU
AI Act.
Framework Structure:
The NIST AI RMF is built around four functional pillars:
Pillar Objective Example Activities
Govern
Establish and oversee the
organizational AI risk culture
Define governance roles, risk tolerances, and
accountability structures
Map
Identify AI systems, contexts, and
intended uses
Map data sources, stakeholders, and
environmental dependencies
Measure
Evaluate risks, biases, and model
performance
Conduct fairness, robustness, and explainability
assessments
Manage
Implement, monitor, and adapt risk
controls
Continuous monitoring, incident response, and
model updates
Key Concepts:
• Trustworthiness: Ensures AI is valid, reliable, safe, secure, and explainable.
• Human Oversight: Ensures that humans remain responsible for decisions.
• Documentation and Traceability: Enforces recordkeeping of training data, algorithmic
decisions, and test results.
Alignment with Cybersecurity Standards:
• Supports ISO/IEC 27005 (information security risk management).
• Complements NIS2 Article 21 by providing structure for risk governance and reporting.
• Enables measurable maturity assessments for AI-based cybersecurity tools.
Best Practice Integration:
• Map NIST AI RMF’s “Manage” functions to existing ISMS and SOC (Security Operations Center)
governance processes.
• Combine with MITRE ATLAS (Adversarial Threat Landscape for AI Systems) for AI-specific
threat modeling.

7.3 EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) – Compliance and Audit Processes
Overview:
The EU AI Act, expected to enter full effect by 2026, is the first binding legal framework regulating the
development, deployment, and use of Artificial Intelligence across the European Union.
It introduces a risk-based approach that classifies AI systems into categories — unacceptable risk, high
risk, limited risk, and minimal risk — and imposes corresponding obligations.

Core Compliance Dimensions:
Risk Level AI Example Requirements
High Risk
AI used in critical infrastructure,
biometric ID, or cybersecurity
Risk management, data governance, human
oversight, conformity assessment
Limited
Risk
Chatbots, recommender systems Transparency requirements
Minimal
Risk
Spam filters, AI-assisted tools Voluntary adherence to codes of conduct
Mandatory Compliance Elements for High-Risk AI Systems:
1. AI Risk Management System : Continuous evaluation of technical and operational risks.
2. Data Governance and Quality : Validation of data accuracy, completeness, and
representativeness.
3. Technical Documentation and Recordkeeping: Enables auditing and post-market monitoring.

4. Human Oversight and Explainability: Operators must be able to interpret AI outputs and
override automated actions.
5. Security and Resilience : AI systems must withstand manipulation, data poisoning, and
model drift.
Audit and Enforcement:
• Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) perform certification prior to market placement.
• Non-compliance may lead to administrative fines up to €35 million or 7% of global turnover.
• Organizations must maintain continuous post-deployment monitoring — integrated into AI
incident response and NIS2 reporting (Article 23).
Integration Opportunity:
The AI Act can be harmonized with ISO/IEC 42001, enabling a unified compliance posture where the
AIMS (AI Management System) serves as the operational backbone for AI Act conformity.

7.4 Integration of AI Governance into Cybersecurity Frameworks
Strategic Rationale:
AI governance cannot operate in isolation. To be effective, it must be embedded into existing
cybersecurity, risk, and compliance ecosystems, ensuring coherence across digital defense, resilience,
and regulatory oversight.
Integration Layers:
Integration Layer Description Key Standards / References
Governance & Policy
Define AI-specific policies aligned with
ISMS, CSMS, and risk appetite.
ISO/IEC 42001, ISO/IEC 27001,
NIS2 Articles 21–23
Risk Management
Incorporate AI risks into enterprise risk
registers and GRC systems.
ISO/IEC 23894, ISO 31000, NIST
AI RMF
Operations & Security
Controls
Embed AI monitoring and explainability in
SOC and SIEM processes.
ISO/IEC 27035, NIST SP 800-53,
MITRE ATLAS
Compliance & Audit
Align AI audits with NIS2, GDPR, and EU AI
Act requirements.
ENISA, EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 19011
Training & Awareness
Educate employees on AI ethics, data
quality, and bias management.
ISO 30422 (Human Governance),
AI Code of Conduct
Implementation Roadmap:
1. Define AI Governance Charter : Outline principles, scope, and authority.
2. Establish AI Risk Register : Classify AI systems by risk, impact, and compliance status.
3. Integrate with ISMS : Ensure shared controls for confidentiality, integrity, and
availability.
4. Create an AI Assurance Function: Continuous monitoring, incident tracking, and audit
readiness.
5. Link with Cybersecurity Maturity Model: Evaluate AI governance maturity alongside NIS2
control domains.

Conclusion
AI governance is now a strategic imperative, not an optional compliance layer. The synergy of ISO/IEC
42001, NIST AI RMF, and the EU AI Act provides a structured path to ensure trustworthy, secure, and
compliant AI operations.
When integrated within cybersecurity and NIS2 frameworks, these standards create a resilient digital
ecosystem that balances innovation, ethics, and risk control — a prerequisite for the quantum-
enabled future of cybersecurity.

Outcome: Integrated governance ensures that AI systems are not only innovative but also secure,
ethical, and compliant by design.



Quantum computing introduces radically new principles—qubits, superposition, entanglement, and
decoherence—that redefine computational power and pose both opportunities and threats to
cybersecurity. Quantum algorithms like Shor and Grover challenge classical encryption, while quantum
communication offers unbreakable cryptographic protocols.


PART III — QUANTUM COMPUTING AND ITS IMPACT ON CYBERSECURITY
8. Quantum Fundamentals

Qubits, Superposition, Entanglement, Decoherence
Qubits (quantum bits) are the fundamental units of quantum information. Unlike classical bits (0 or 1),
qubits can exist in a combination of states due to:
• Superposition : A qubit can be in a state |0⟩, |1⟩, or any linear combination α|0⟩ + β|1⟩,
where α and β are complex amplitudes. This allows quantum computers to process multiple
possibilities simultaneously, enabling exponential speedups in certain computations.
• Entanglement : When two or more qubits become entangled, their states are
interdependent regardless of distance. Measuring one instantly determines the state of the
other. Entanglement is key to quantum teleportation, quantum key distribution (QKD), and
parallelism in quantum algorithms.
• Decoherence : Quantum states are fragile. Interaction with the environment causes
decoherence—loss of quantum behavior—which leads to errors. Quantum error correction
and fault-tolerant architectures are essential to mitigate this.
• Measurement : Observing a qubit collapses its superposition to a definite state. This
probabilistic nature is central to quantum computing’s power and complexity.
These principles enable quantum computers to solve problems that are infeasible for classical
machines, but also introduce new challenges in stability, scalability, and security.

Quantum Algorithms Overview
Quantum algorithms exploit quantum mechanics to outperform classical counterparts in specific
domains:
• Shor’s Algorithm (1994) : Efficiently factors large integers, threatening RSA and ECC
encryption. Classical factoring is exponential; Shor’s is polynomial. A quantum computer with
~4,000 error-corrected qubits could break RSA-2048.
• Grover’s Algorithm (1996): Speeds up unstructured search problems. It reduces brute-force
search from O(N) to O(√N), weakening symmetric encryption like AES. AES-256 would require
doubling key size to maintain security.
• QAOA (Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm): Solves combinatorial optimization
problems (e.g., logistics, scheduling). It’s a hybrid algorithm combining quantum circuits with
classical feedback loops.
• VQE (Variational Quantum Eigensolver): Estimates ground-state energies of molecules, useful
in quantum chemistry and materials science. It’s a cornerstone of near-term quantum
applications using noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices.
These algorithms demonstrate quantum advantage in cryptography, optimization, and simulation—
each with implications for cybersecurity, from breaking encryption to securing supply chains.

Quantum Communication and Cryptography
Quantum communication leverages quantum mechanics to achieve unprecedented security:
• Quantum Key Distribution (QKD):
o Uses entangled photons to share encryption keys.
o Any eavesdropping attempt disturbs the quantum state, alerting parties.
o Protocols like BB84 and E91 are already deployed in secure networks (e.g., China’s
quantum satellite Micius).
• Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG):
o Generates truly unpredictable numbers using quantum phenomena.
o Enhances cryptographic strength beyond pseudo-random generators.
• Quantum-secure protocols:
o Combine classical post-quantum cryptography (PQC) with quantum communication.
o Enable hybrid systems resilient to both classical and quantum attacks.
• Quantum Internet:
o A future network of entangled nodes enabling secure communication, distributed
quantum computing, and quantum cloud services.
While quantum cryptography offers information-theoretic security, it requires specialized hardware,
low-latency channels, and robust error correction. Its integration into cybersecurity frameworks is
ongoing but accelerating.

Quantum computing poses a profound threat to modern cybersecurity by undermining the
mathematical foundations of widely used cryptographic systems. Shor’s algorithm, in particular,
renders RSA and ECC vulnerable, with cascading effects on PKI, TLS, VPNs, and digital signatures.
Quantum-enabled attack vectors demand urgent mitigation through post-quantum cryptography and
systemic resilience.

9. Quantum Threats
Shor’s Algorithm and RSA/ECC Decryption
Shor’s algorithm, developed by Peter Shor in 1994, is a quantum algorithm capable of factoring large
integers and computing discrete logarithms exponentially faster than classical algorithms. These
capabilities directly threaten the security of:
• RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman): Based on the difficulty of factoring large composite numbers.
• ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography): Relies on the hardness of the elliptic curve discrete
logarithm problem.
Why this matters:
• RSA and ECC underpin most of today’s secure communications, including HTTPS, email
encryption, digital signatures, and VPNs.
• Classical factoring algorithms (e.g., General Number Field Sieve) require exponential time;
Shor’s algorithm reduces this to polynomial time on a sufficiently powerful quantum
computer.
Implications:
• A quantum computer with ~4,000 logical qubits and fault-tolerant architecture could break
RSA-2048 in hours.
• ECC, often considered more efficient than RSA, is equally vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm.
Harvest Now, Decrypt Later:
• Adversaries may already be intercepting and storing encrypted data with long-term value
(e.g., medical records, government secrets).
• Once quantum capabilities mature, this data can be decrypted retroactively, violating
confidentiality and trust.

Impact on PKI, TLS, VPN, Digital Signatures
The collapse of RSA and ECC would destabilize the entire Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) ecosystem:
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• PKI uses asymmetric cryptography for key exchange, authentication, and digital signatures.
• Certificates (e.g., X.509) rely on RSA/ECC keys for validation.
• Quantum attacks would allow impersonation, certificate forgery, and man-in-the-middle
(MITM) attacks.
TLS (Transport Layer Security)
• TLS secures web traffic (HTTPS), email, and VoIP.
• TLS 1.2 and 1.3 use RSA/ECC for key exchange and authentication.
• Quantum decryption would expose session keys, enabling traffic decryption and replay
attacks.
VPNs (Virtual Private Networks)
• VPN protocols like IPsec and OpenVPN use RSA/ECC for authentication and key exchange.
• Quantum threats would allow adversaries to decrypt VPN tunnels, exposing sensitive
enterprise traffic.
Digital Signatures

• Used in software updates, blockchain transactions, and legal documents.
• Quantum attacks could forge signatures, enabling malware injection, financial fraud, and legal
repudiation.
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is essential to mitigate these risks:
• NIST has standardized algorithms like CRYSTALS-Kyber (key exchange) and CRYSTALS-Dilithium
(digital signatures).
• Hybrid cryptographic schemes (classical + quantum-safe) are recommended during transition.

Quantum-Enabled Attack Vectors
Quantum computing introduces novel attack vectors that go beyond cryptographic decryption:
1. Quantum Decryption of Stored Data
• Encrypted archives, backups, and intercepted traffic are vulnerable.
• Long-term confidentiality (e.g., health records, defense plans) is at risk.
2. Quantum-Accelerated Malware
• Quantum algorithms could optimize malware behavior, evasion, and propagation.
• Quantum-enhanced AI may simulate attack paths and bypass defenses.
3. Quantum Side-Channel Attacks
• Quantum sensors could detect electromagnetic emissions or timing variations with extreme
precision.
• Potential to extract cryptographic keys or system states.
4. Quantum-Enhanced Social Engineering
• AI-powered quantum systems may analyze behavioral patterns and linguistic cues to craft
hyper-personalized phishing attacks.
5. Quantum Cryptanalysis of Symmetric Systems
• Grover’s algorithm reduces brute-force complexity for symmetric encryption (e.g., AES).
• AES-128 becomes vulnerable; AES-256 remains relatively secure but may require doubling key
size.
6. Quantum Attacks on Blockchain
• Digital signatures in blockchain (e.g., ECDSA in Bitcoin) are vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm.
• Quantum adversaries could forge transactions or alter ledger history.
Strategic Response:
• Initiate crypto-agility programs to enable rapid algorithm replacement.
• Deploy quantum-safe VPNs, TLS stacks, and PKI systems.
• Monitor quantum computing advancements and update threat models accordingly.
• Collaborate with regulators (e.g., NIS2, DORA) to align with emerging compliance standards.

Quantum-resilient cybersecurity is the strategic and technical response to the existential threat posed
by quantum computing to classical cryptographic systems. It encompasses post-quantum
cryptography (PQC), hybrid cryptographic architectures, quantum key distribution (QKD), and
structured migration strategies to ensure long-term data confidentiality, integrity, and trust.

10. Quantum-Resilient Cybersecurity
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): NIST Algorithms

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) refers to cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand attacks
from quantum computers. Unlike quantum cryptography, PQC is implemented on classical hardware
and software, making it practical for widespread adoption.

Why PQC is necessary:
• Quantum algorithms like Shor’s and Grover’s threaten RSA, ECC, and symmetric encryption.
• PQC ensures security against both classical and quantum adversaries.
• It supports crypto-agility, allowing systems to evolve without complete redesign.

NIST PQC Standardization:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated a global competition in 2016 to
identify quantum-safe algorithms. In 2022, NIST announced four finalists, and in 2024–2025, it began
formal standardization:
Algorithm Purpose Type Characteristics
CRYSTALS-Kyber Key encapsulation Lattice-based Fast, small keys, efficient
CRYSTALS-Dilithium Digital signatures Lattice-based Strong security, scalable
FALCON Digital signatures Lattice-based Compact signatures, complex implementation
SPHINCS+ Digital signatures Hash-based Stateless, conservative, large signatures

These algorithms are designed to replace RSA and ECC in TLS, VPNs, PKI, and digital signatures.
Implementation considerations:
• Performance : PQC algorithms vary in speed, key size, and computational overhead.
• Security : Lattice-based schemes are currently favored for their balance of efficiency
and robustness.
• Compatibility : PQC must integrate with existing protocols (e.g., TLS 1.3, X.509 certificates).

Hybrid Cryptographic Systems
Hybrid cryptography combines classical and post-quantum algorithms to ensure security during the
transition period:
Purpose:
• Mitigate risks of premature PQC adoption or unforeseen vulnerabilities.
• Maintain backward compatibility with legacy systems.
• Enable phased deployment across diverse environments.
Examples:
• TLS 1.3 hybrid handshake : Combines RSA/ECC with Kyber for key exchange.
• Hybrid digital signatures : Use both ECC and Dilithium to validate authenticity.
• VPN hybrid tunnels : Employ dual encryption layers—AES + PQC key exchange.
Benefits:

• Defense in depth : Even if one algorithm is compromised, the other maintains
security.
• Operational continuity : Supports gradual migration without disrupting services.
• Regulatory alignment : Meets compliance requirements while preparing for future
mandates.
Challenges:
• Increased computational load and bandwidth usage.
• Complexity in certificate management and key lifecycle operations.
• Need for interoperability testing across vendors and platforms.
Hybrid systems are a critical bridge between today’s infrastructure and quantum-safe architectures.

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a cryptographic protocol that uses quantum mechanics to securely
exchange encryption keys:
Principles:
• Based on quantum entanglement and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
• Any eavesdropping attempt alters the quantum state, alerting the communicating parties.
• Keys are exchanged using photons over fiber-optic or free-space channels.
Protocols:
• BB84 : First and most widely implemented QKD protocol.
• E91 : Uses entangled photon pairs for enhanced security.
• Decoy-state QKD: Improves performance and resists photon-number-splitting attacks.
Applications:
• Military and government communications.
• Financial institutions for high-value transactions.
• Quantum networks and quantum internet prototypes.
Limitations:
• Requires specialized hardware (e.g., single-photon emitters and detectors).
• Limited by distance and channel noise.
• High cost and infrastructure complexity.

QKD offers information-theoretic security, but its deployment is currently limited to high-security
environments.

Migration Strategies to Quantum-Safe Systems
Transitioning to quantum-resilient cybersecurity requires structured, multi-phase migration strategies:
1. Discovery and Inventory
• Identify all cryptographic assets: keys, certificates, protocols, libraries.
• Map dependencies across applications, devices, and third-party services.
• Use tools like crypto discovery scanners and certificate analyzers.
2. Risk Assessment
• Prioritize assets based on sensitivity, exposure, and data longevity.
• Evaluate quantum risk using threat modeling and impact analysis.
• Align with compliance frameworks (e.g., NIS2, DORA, Cyber Resilience Act).
3. Crypto-Agility Enablement
• Refactor systems to support algorithm swapping without major redesign.
• Implement modular cryptographic libraries and configurable key management.
• Ensure support for hybrid cryptography.
4. PQC Integration
• Replace RSA/ECC with NIST-approved PQC algorithms.
• Update TLS stacks, VPN configurations, PKI systems, and digital signature workflows.

• Conduct interoperability testing and performance benchmarking.
5. Monitoring and Governance
• Establish AI-enhanced monitoring for quantum-related anomalies.
• Maintain audit trails, compliance dashboards, and incident response plans.
• Collaborate with vendors, regulators, and industry consortia.
6. Training and Awareness
• Educate developers, CISOs, and stakeholders on quantum risks and mitigation.
• Develop quantum readiness playbooks and simulation exercises.
• Foster a culture of crypto-agility and resilience.
Conclusion: Quantum-resilient cybersecurity is not a future aspiration—it’s a present imperative. By
adopting PQC, deploying hybrid systems, exploring QKD, and executing structured migration
strategies, organizations can safeguard their digital assets against the quantum horizon.

Quantum AI represents the fusion of quantum computing and artificial intelligence, unlocking new
computational paradigms that dramatically accelerate learning, enhance cybersecurity analytics, and
redefine threat detection. While still emerging, Quantum AI promises exponential gains in speed,
precision, and adaptability—alongside complex challenges in implementation, governance, and
resilience.
11. Quantum AI

How Quantum Computing Accelerates AI Models
Quantum computing introduces a fundamentally different approach to computation, enabling AI
models to process and learn from data in ways that classical systems cannot match.
Key acceleration mechanisms:
• Quantum parallelism : Qubits can exist in superposition, allowing quantum processors to
evaluate multiple states simultaneously. This enables AI models to explore vast solution
spaces in parallel, accelerating optimization and inference.
• Quantum entanglement: Entangled qubits share information instantaneously, allowing for
highly efficient data encoding and correlation analysis. This benefits AI tasks like feature
selection, dimensionality reduction, and pattern recognition.
• Quantum amplitude amplification: Algorithms like Grover’s can amplify the probability of
correct outcomes, improving search and classification tasks in AI.
• Quantum memory and data encoding:
o Quantum systems can encode high-dimensional data into compact quantum states.
o Quantum data structures (e.g., quantum RAM) allow faster access and manipulation
of large datasets.
Impact on AI performance:
• Training speed : Quantum processors can accelerate gradient descent and
backpropagation in neural networks.
• Model complexity : Enables training of deeper, more expressive models without
prohibitive computational cost.
• Scalability : Supports real-time learning on massive datasets, including streaming
and multimodal inputs.
While full-scale quantum acceleration is still in development, hybrid quantum-classical systems are
already demonstrating speedups in niche AI tasks.

Quantum Machine Learning (QML)
Quantum Machine Learning (QML) is the field that applies quantum computing principles to enhance
machine learning algorithms.
Categories of QML:
1. Quantum-enhanced classical ML:
o Uses quantum subroutines to speed up parts of classical ML workflows.
o Example: Quantum kernel estimation for support vector machines (SVMs).
2. Fully quantum ML models:
o Entire model architecture and training are executed on quantum hardware.
o Example: Quantum neural networks (QNNs), quantum Boltzmann machines.
3. Hybrid quantum-classical ML:
o Combines quantum circuits with classical optimization loops.
o Example: Variational Quantum Classifiers (VQC), Quantum GANs.
Key algorithms:
• Quantum Support Vector Machines (QSVM): Use quantum kernels to classify data with higher
accuracy and efficiency.

• Quantum Principal Component Analysis (QPCA): Extracts dominant features from data using
quantum linear algebra.
• Quantum k-Means Clustering: Accelerates unsupervised learning by parallelizing distance
calculations.
• Quantum Reinforcement Learning (QRL): Enhances decision-making in dynamic environments
using quantum policy optimization.
Platforms and tools:
• IBM Qiskit, Google Cirq, Microsoft Q#, Xanadu’s PennyLane, Rigetti Forest.
QML is particularly promising for high-dimensional, noisy, or sparse datasets—common in
cybersecurity, genomics, and finance.

Quantum-Enhanced Cybersecurity Analytics
Quantum AI can revolutionize cybersecurity analytics by enabling faster, more accurate, and adaptive
threat detection and response.
Applications:
• Anomaly detection:
o Quantum-enhanced clustering and classification can identify subtle deviations in
network traffic, user behavior, or system logs.
o Useful for detecting zero-day attacks, insider threats, and advanced persistent threats
(APTs).
• Threat intelligence correlation:
o Quantum AI can process and correlate vast threat feeds, dark web data, and OSINT
sources in real time.
o Enhances situational awareness and predictive threat modeling.
• Cryptographic analysis:
o Quantum AI can simulate cryptographic protocols to identify weaknesses or optimize
post-quantum schemes.
o Supports validation of PQC algorithms and hybrid cryptographic systems.
• Behavioral biometrics:
o Quantum-enhanced pattern recognition improves accuracy in identity verification and
fraud detection.
• Quantum-enhanced SOCs:
o AI agents powered by quantum processors can autonomously triage alerts, simulate
attack paths, and recommend countermeasures.
Benefits:
• Speed : Real-time analytics on petabyte-scale data.
• Precision : Reduced false positives and improved threat classification.
• Adaptability : Dynamic learning from evolving threat landscapes.
Quantum-enhanced analytics offer a leap forward in proactive, intelligent cybersecurity defense.

Opportunities and Challenges for Threat Detection
Opportunities:
• Early detection of novel threats:
o Quantum AI can identify patterns invisible to classical systems, enabling detection of
emerging malware, polymorphic attacks, and stealthy intrusions.
• Scalable defense across hybrid environments:
o Supports threat detection in cloud, edge, IoT, and quantum networks.
• Autonomous threat hunting:
o Quantum agents can explore attack surfaces, simulate adversarial behavior, and
uncover hidden vulnerabilities.
• Enhanced deception and counterintelligence:

o Quantum AI can generate realistic honeypots and decoys, improving attacker profiling
and containment.
Challenges:
• Hardware limitations:
o Quantum processors are still noisy, error-prone, and limited in qubit count.
o Requires error correction, fault tolerance, and hybrid architectures.
• Algorithm maturity:
o Many QML algorithms are theoretical or limited to toy datasets.
o Need for robust benchmarking and real-world validation.
• Security of quantum systems:
o Quantum systems themselves may be vulnerable to side-channel attacks,
decoherence, and quantum malware.
• Talent and tooling:
o Shortage of quantum-literate cybersecurity professionals.
o Need for integrated development environments and cross-disciplinary training.
• Governance and compliance:
o Lack of standards for quantum AI security, ethics, and auditability.
o Must align with emerging frameworks like ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF, and EU AI Act.

Conclusion: Quantum AI is not just a technological evolution—it’s a paradigm shift. It offers
transformative capabilities in threat detection, intelligence correlation, and autonomous defense. But
realizing its potential requires overcoming hardware, algorithmic, and governance challenges.
Organizations must begin exploring quantum AI today to secure their digital future tomorrow.

The convergence of AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing demands a transformative governance
architecture—one that integrates technical resilience, ethical oversight, and regulatory compliance.
This new paradigm redefines organizational roles, elevates the Chief Information Security Officer
(CISO), and aligns with mandates like NIS2 to ensure systemic trust and operational integrity.

PART IV — THE INTEGRATED AI–CYBERSECURITY–QUANTUM FRAMEWORK
12. Integrated Governance Architecture

Roles, Responsibilities, and Organizational Design
In the integrated AI–cybersecurity–quantum landscape, governance must evolve from siloed oversight
to cross-functional orchestration. This requires a redefinition of roles, responsibilities, and structural
design.
Key governance roles:
Role Responsibility
Board of Directors Strategic oversight, risk appetite, compliance accountability
Executive Leadership (CEO, COO,
CFO)
Resource allocation, business alignment, stakeholder
engagement
Chief Information Security Officer
(CISO)
Cybersecurity strategy, quantum resilience, AI risk governance
Chief Data Officer (CDO) Data stewardship, privacy, ethical AI use
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Technology roadmap, quantum integration, infrastructure
modernization
AI Governance Lead AI lifecycle management, explainability, bias mitigation
Quantum Program Manager Quantum readiness, algorithm migration, vendor coordination
Compliance Officer / DPO Regulatory alignment (NIS2, AI Act, GDPR), audit coordination

Organizational design principles:
• Federated governance : Centralized policy with decentralized execution across
business units.
• Integrated risk committees : Cross-disciplinary teams for AI, cybersecurity, and quantum
risk reviews.
• Lifecycle governance : Oversight from design to decommissioning of AI and
quantum systems.
• Agile compliance : Continuous monitoring and adaptive controls to meet
evolving regulations.
This design ensures resilience, agility, and accountability across digital transformation initiatives.

The CISO in the Quantum–AI Era
The role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is undergoing a profound transformation:
Expanded responsibilities:
• Quantum threat modeling : Assess risks from Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms, and plan
PQC migration.
• AI risk governance : Oversee model integrity, adversarial robustness, and ethical
use.
• Crypto-agility strategy : Enable dynamic algorithm replacement across PKI, TLS, and
VPNs.

• Supply chain security : Evaluate quantum and AI risks in third-party software and
hardware.
• Incident response modernization: Integrate AI-driven playbooks and quantum-aware
forensics.
Strategic leadership:
• Board engagement : Translate technical risks into business impact and regulatory
exposure.
• Talent development : Build quantum-literate and AI-aware security teams.
• Innovation stewardship : Balance security with enablement of AI and quantum capabilities.
Tools and frameworks:
• Quantum Risk Register : Catalog assets vulnerable to quantum decryption.
• AI Risk Dashboard : Monitor model drift, bias, and adversarial exposure.
• Integrated GRC platforms: Align cybersecurity, AI, and quantum controls under unified
governance.
The modern CISO is not just a defender—they are a strategic architect of trust in the digital–quantum
enterprise.

NIS2 Governance Integration
The EU NIS2 Directive (Network and Information Security Directive 2), effective October 2024,
mandates robust governance for essential and important entities across sectors like energy, transport,
health, finance, and ICT.
Governance requirements:
• Board-level accountability : Executives must be aware of cybersecurity risks and
mitigation strategies.
• Risk management policies : Must include AI and quantum threats.
• Incident reporting : Obligatory within 24 hours for significant incidents.
• Supply chain oversight : Includes third-party quantum and AI risks.
• Business continuity planning : Must account for quantum disruptions and AI-driven attacks.
Integration strategies:
• Map NIS2 controls to AI and quantum domains:
o AI model integrity → NIS2 risk management
o PQC migration → NIS2 technical measures
o Quantum threat detection → NIS2 monitoring and response
• Embed NIS2 into enterprise governance:
o Update cybersecurity policies to include AI and quantum resilience.
o Align with ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management Systems) and NIST AI RMF.
o Conduct NIS2 readiness assessments with quantum and AI lenses.
• Reporting and audit alignment:
o Maintain audit trails for AI decisions and quantum cryptographic transitions.
o Use AI to automate NIS2 compliance reporting and incident classification.


NIS2 is not just a regulatory obligation—it’s a framework for integrated digital resilience.
Conclusion: Integrated governance is the cornerstone of secure, ethical, and quantum-ready digital
transformation. By redefining roles, empowering the CISO, and aligning with NIS2, organizations can
build a future-proof architecture that safeguards trust, compliance, and innovation.

In the era of converging AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, traditional risk management
frameworks must evolve into multidimensional, adaptive systems. A modern Risk Management
Framework (RMF) must integrate quantum threat modeling, AI lifecycle governance, and cyber
resilience—anchored in global standards like ISO 31000 and ISO/IEC 27005.

13. Risk Management Framework
Quantum Risk Identification and Assessment
Quantum computing introduces unique risks that challenge the foundations of classical cybersecurity.
Identifying and assessing quantum risks requires a forward-looking, probabilistic approach.
Key quantum risks:
• Cryptographic collapse:
o Shor’s algorithm threatens RSA, ECC, and Diffie-Hellman.
o Grover’s algorithm weakens symmetric encryption (e.g., AES-128).
• Harvest-now-decrypt-later:
o Adversaries may intercept encrypted data today and decrypt it once quantum
capabilities mature.
• Quantum-enabled malware:
o Future malware may use quantum optimization to evade detection or accelerate
propagation.
• Quantum side-channel attacks:
o Quantum sensors could exploit electromagnetic emissions or timing variations with
unprecedented precision.
Risk identification process:
1. Asset discovery:
o Catalog cryptographic assets: keys, certificates, protocols, libraries.
o Identify long-term sensitive data (e.g., medical, financial, defense).
2. Threat modeling:
o Use quantum threat scenarios to simulate impact on PKI, TLS, VPNs, and digital
signatures.
3. Vulnerability analysis:
o Assess exposure to quantum decryption, algorithmic obsolescence, and supply chain
weaknesses.
4. Impact assessment:
o Evaluate business, legal, and reputational consequences of quantum breaches.
5. Risk quantification:
o Use probabilistic models to estimate time-to-compromise and likelihood of quantum
breakthroughs.

AI Risk Lifecycle (Bias, Drift, Misuse)
AI systems introduce dynamic risks that evolve throughout their lifecycle. Managing these risks
requires continuous monitoring, governance, and ethical oversight.

Lifecycle stages and associated risks:
Stage Risks
Design Incomplete threat modeling, lack of explainability, biased training data
Development Model poisoning, adversarial vulnerabilities, insecure code
Training Data leakage, overfitting, bias amplification

Stage Risks
Deployment Model drift, misuse, lack of transparency
Monitoring Unnoticed performance degradation, ethical violations, regulatory non-compliance
Retirement Residual data exposure, legacy model misuse

Key risk categories:
• Bias:
o Systematic errors in training data or model architecture.
o Leads to unfair outcomes in access control, fraud detection, or threat prioritization.
• Drift:
o Changes in data distribution over time reduce model accuracy.
o Requires retraining and validation.
• Misuse:
o AI systems repurposed for unintended or malicious applications.
o Example: LLMs used to generate phishing emails or reverse-engineer malware.
Mitigation strategies:
• Explainable AI (XAI): Use interpretable models and post-hoc explanation tools (e.g., SHAP,
LIME).
• Bias audits: Conduct fairness testing and demographic impact analysis.
• Model governance: Implement version control, access restrictions, and ethical review boards.
• Continuous monitoring: Use AI observability platforms to track performance, drift, and
anomalies.

Combined Risk Scoring Model (AI × Quantum × Cyber)
A unified risk scoring model enables organizations to assess and prioritize risks across AI, quantum,
and cybersecurity domains.
Model architecture:
1. Risk dimensions:
o AI risk score : Bias, drift, adversarial exposure, explainability.
o Quantum risk score : Cryptographic vulnerability, data longevity, time-to-
compromise.
o Cyber risk score : Threat landscape, asset criticality, compliance posture.
2. Scoring methodology:
o Use weighted scoring based on impact, likelihood, and detectability.
o Normalize scores across domains for comparability.
3. Composite risk index:
o Combine scores into a multidimensional risk heatmap.
o Visualize risk clusters and interdependencies.
4. Dynamic recalibration:
o Update scores based on threat intelligence, system changes, and regulatory updates.
Example:
Asset AI Risk Quantum Risk Cyber Risk Composite Score
VPN Gateway Low High Medium High
AI Threat Classifier High Medium Medium High
PKI Server Medium High High Critical
This model supports prioritized mitigation, resource allocation, and executive reporting.

Link to ISO 31000 and ISO/IEC 27005
Global standards provide foundational guidance for risk management integration:
ISO 31000: Risk Management — Guidelines
• Scope: Enterprise-wide risk management across strategic, operational, financial, and
technological domains.
• Principles:
o Integrated, structured, and comprehensive.
o Dynamic and responsive to change.
o Inclusive and transparent.
• Framework:
o Governance, communication, monitoring, and continual improvement.
• Process:
o Risk identification, analysis, evaluation, treatment, and review.

Quantum and AI risks can be embedded into ISO 31000 frameworks via tailored risk registers and
governance structures.

ISO/IEC 27005: Information Security Risk Management
• Scope : Risk management within information security programs.
• Alignment : Complements ISO/IEC 27001 (ISMS) and ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management
Systems).
• Process :Asset valuation, threat identification, vulnerability analysis, impact
estimation.
• Integration:
o Include quantum cryptographic assets and AI models as risk-bearing entities.
o Use combined scoring models to evaluate residual risk and control effectiveness.
Together, ISO 31000 and ISO/IEC 27005 provide a structured, auditable, and scalable foundation for
managing converged AI–quantum–cyber risks.


Conclusion: A modern Risk Management Framework must be multidimensional, adaptive, and
standards-aligned. By integrating quantum threat modeling, AI lifecycle governance, and composite
scoring, organizations can proactively manage emerging risks and ensure resilience in a rapidly
evolving digital landscape.

In the age of converging AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, organizations must deploy a
multidimensional control framework that spans technical, organizational, and operational domains.
These controls and capabilities are essential to ensure resilience, compliance, and trust across digital
ecosystems.
14. Controls and Capabilities

Technical Controls
Modern cybersecurity demands advanced technical safeguards that integrate AI, quantum resilience,
and distributed trust mechanisms.
1. AI-Enhanced Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
AI transforms traditional IDS into intelligent, adaptive systems capable of detecting sophisticated
threats in real time.
• Machine Learning (ML) models analyze network traffic, user behavior, and system logs to
identify anomalies.
• Deep Learning (DL) architectures (e.g., LSTM, autoencoders) detect zero-day attacks and
polymorphic malware.
• Federated Learning enables collaborative threat detection across distributed
environments without sharing raw data.
• Explainable AI (XAI) ensures transparency in alert generation and decision-making.

Benefits:
• Reduced false positives and alert fatigue.
• Faster detection and response to advanced persistent threats (APTs).
• Scalable protection across cloud, edge, and IoT environments.
2. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
PQC safeguards cryptographic assets against quantum-enabled decryption.
• NIST-standard algorithms:
o CRYSTALS-Kyber (key exchange)
o CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON, SPHINCS+ (digital signatures)
• Hybrid cryptographic schemes combine classical and quantum-safe algorithms for transitional
resilience.
• Crypto-agility enables dynamic algorithm replacement without system redesign.
Applications:
• Secure TLS, VPN, PKI, and digital signature workflows.
• Protection of long-term sensitive data (e.g., medical, financial, legal).
3. Blockchain Security
Blockchain offers decentralized trust and tamper-proof integrity, but must be hardened against
quantum and AI threats.
• Quantum-resistant signatures (e.g., hash-based, lattice-based) replace vulnerable ECDSA.
• Smart contract auditing uses AI to detect vulnerabilities and logic flaws.
• AI-driven anomaly detection monitors blockchain transactions for fraud, manipulation, and
insider threats.
Use cases:
• Secure identity management, supply chain traceability, and financial transactions.
• Integration with AI agents for autonomous contract execution and compliance.

Organizational Controls
Organizational resilience depends on cultivating a security-aware culture, supported by structured
training and governance.
1. Training and Upskilling

• Quantum literacy: Educate teams on quantum principles, cryptographic risks, and migration
strategies.
• AI governance: Train stakeholders on model lifecycle, bias mitigation, and ethical use.
• Cybersecurity fundamentals: Reinforce secure coding, threat modeling, and incident response.
Methods:
• Role-based training modules (CISO, developer, analyst, executive).
• Simulation exercises and tabletop scenarios.
• Certification programs (e.g., ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF, CISSP, CISM).
2. Awareness Programs
• Phishing simulations and social engineering drills.
• Threat briefings on emerging AI and quantum risks.
• Gamified learning to engage non-technical staff.
Outcomes:
• Improved threat recognition and reporting.
• Reduced human error and insider risk.
• Stronger alignment between technical and business teams.
3. Culture of Security and Ethics
• Embed security-by-design and ethics-by-default into development and decision-making.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration across cybersecurity, legal, compliance, and ethics.
• Establish AI and quantum ethics boards to review high-impact deployments.
Culture drives behavior—making it the most enduring control in the cybersecurity arsenal.

Operational Controls
Operational excellence ensures that technical and organizational controls are executed effectively and
continuously.
1. SOC 2.0 (Security Operations Center Evolution)
The next-generation SOC integrates AI, automation, and quantum awareness.
• AI-driven alert triage and incident response orchestration.
• Threat hunting agents simulate attacker behavior and uncover hidden vulnerabilities.
• Quantum threat monitoring tracks cryptographic exposure and algorithmic obsolescence.
Features:
• 24/7 autonomous monitoring.
• Integration with threat intelligence platforms and compliance dashboards.
• Support for hybrid environments (cloud, on-prem, edge, quantum networks).
2. DevSecOps Integration
Security must be embedded into every phase of the software development lifecycle.
• Shift-left security: Incorporate threat modeling, code scanning, and compliance checks early in
development.
• AI-enhanced CI/CD pipelines: Automate vulnerability detection, patching, and deployment
validation.
• Quantum-safe development: Use PQC libraries and crypto-agile design patterns.
Benefits:
• Faster time-to-market with built-in security.
• Reduced technical debt and breach risk.
• Continuous compliance with NIS2, DORA, and Cyber Resilience Act.
3. Red Teaming with AI
AI augments red teaming by simulating sophisticated adversaries and attack scenarios.
• Generative AI creates realistic phishing campaigns, malware variants, and social engineering
scripts.
• Reinforcement learning agents explore attack paths and test defenses.

• Quantum-aware red teams assess cryptographic exposure and simulate post-quantum
attacks.
Outcomes:
• Enhanced threat modeling and defense validation.
• Identification of blind spots in AI and quantum controls.
• Improved incident response readiness.

Conclusion A robust cybersecurity posture in the AI–quantum era requires a layered control
framework that spans technical innovation, organizational maturity, and operational excellence. By
deploying AI-enhanced IDS, PQC, blockchain security, and integrating SOC 2.0, DevSecOps, and AI-
powered red teaming, organizations can build resilient, compliant, and future-ready digital
ecosystems.

In the era of converging AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, organizations must adopt a
comprehensive maturity and compliance framework that aligns technical capabilities, governance
structures, and regulatory obligations. This framework must be dynamic, scalable, and auditable—
ensuring resilience, trust, and strategic readiness across digital ecosystems.
15. Maturity and Compliance

Cyber Maturity Models (CMMI, NIST-CSF, ENISA)
Cyber maturity models provide structured methodologies to assess and improve an organization’s
cybersecurity posture. They help benchmark capabilities, identify gaps, and guide strategic
investments.
1. CMMI for Cybermaturity
The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), originally developed for software engineering, has
evolved to support cybersecurity maturity assessments.
• Levels:
o Level 1 – Initial: Ad hoc, reactive security practices.
o Level 2 – Managed: Basic policies and repeatable processes.
o Level 3 – Defined: Standardized procedures and proactive risk management.
o Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed: Metrics-driven security operations.
o Level 5 – Optimizing: Continuous improvement and innovation.
• Application:
o Used by defense contractors, critical infrastructure operators, and regulated
industries.
o Supports integration with ISO/IEC 27001 and NIST frameworks.
2. NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST-CSF)
The NIST-CSF is a widely adopted framework structured around five core functions:
Function Description
Identify Asset management, risk assessment, governance
Protect Access control, data security, awareness training
Detect Anomaly detection, continuous monitoring
Respond Incident response planning, communications
Recover Recovery planning, improvements, communications
• Tiers:
o Partial (Tier 1) to Adaptive (Tier 4) maturity levels.
• Profiles:
o Tailored implementation plans based on business needs and risk tolerance.
3. ENISA Cybersecurity Maturity Model
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) provides a maturity model aligned with EU
directives like NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act.
• Domains:
o Governance, risk management, asset protection, incident handling, supply chain
security.
• Levels:
o Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Innovative.
• Use cases:
o National cybersecurity strategies.
o Sectoral assessments (e.g., energy, finance, healthcare).
These models offer complementary perspectives and can be integrated into a unified maturity
roadmap.

AI Maturity and Quantum Readiness Scales
As AI and quantum technologies become integral to cybersecurity, organizations must assess their
preparedness across both domains.
AI Maturity Model
AI maturity reflects an organization’s ability to responsibly develop, deploy, and govern AI systems.
• Stages:
1. Ad hoc: Isolated experiments, no governance.
2. Opportunistic: Departmental use, limited oversight.
3. Systematic: Enterprise-wide adoption, basic governance.
4. Integrated: AI embedded in workflows, ethical controls.
5. Transformational: AI drives innovation, strategic advantage.
• Dimensions:
1. Data governance and quality.
2. Model lifecycle management.
3. Explainability and bias mitigation.
4. Regulatory compliance (e.g., EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001).
Quantum Readiness Scale
Quantum readiness measures an organization’s preparedness for quantum threats and opportunities.
• Levels:
1. Unaware: No understanding of quantum risks.
2. Aware: Initial education and exploration.
3. Planning: Roadmap for PQC and quantum integration.
4. Piloting: Testing PQC algorithms and quantum tools.
5. Operational: Quantum-safe systems deployed, continuous monitoring.
• Assessment areas:
1. Cryptographic asset inventory.
2. PQC migration strategy.
3. Quantum threat modeling.
4. Vendor and supply chain quantum risk evaluation.
These scales help organizations benchmark progress and align with strategic goals.

Audit Mechanisms and Continuous Compliance
Effective compliance requires robust audit mechanisms and continuous assurance across AI,
cybersecurity, and quantum domains.
Audit Mechanisms
• Internal audits:
o Conducted by risk and compliance teams.
o Focus on policy adherence, control effectiveness, and incident response readiness.
• External audits:
o Performed by third-party assessors or regulators.
o Required for certifications (e.g., ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, SOC 2).
• Automated audits:
o AI-driven tools scan systems for misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and policy
violations.
o Enable real-time compliance monitoring and reporting.
• Quantum audit readiness:
o Document cryptographic dependencies and PQC migration status.
o Maintain logs of quantum-related decisions and threat assessments.
Continuous Compliance
• DevSecOps integration:

o Embed compliance checks into CI/CD pipelines.
o Automate code scanning, policy enforcement, and documentation.
• Compliance dashboards:
o Visualize risk posture, audit findings, and remediation progress.
o Support executive reporting and board-level oversight.
• Regulatory alignment:
o Map controls to frameworks like NIS2, DORA, AI Act, and Cyber Resilience Act.
o Maintain traceability across controls, risks, and incidents.
• Adaptive governance:
o Update policies and controls based on threat intelligence, regulatory changes, and
audit outcomes.
o Foster a culture of continuous improvement and ethical accountability.


Conclusion Maturity and compliance are not static goals—they are dynamic capabilities. By leveraging
cyber maturity models, AI and quantum readiness scales, and continuous audit mechanisms,
organizations can build resilient, trustworthy, and future-proof digital ecosystems. This integrated
approach ensures alignment with global standards, regulatory mandates, and strategic imperatives.

Critical infrastructure protection is entering a new era—driven by the convergence of AI,
cybersecurity, and quantum computing. As energy, utilities, transport, healthcare, and financial
services become increasingly digitized and interconnected, safeguarding these sectors demands
integrated, adaptive, and resilient strategies.
PART V — STRATEGIC DOMAINS AND SECTOR APPLICATIONS
16. Critical Infrastructure Protection
Energy, Utilities, and Transport
These sectors form the backbone of national security, economic stability, and public welfare. Their
digitization—through smart meters, SCADA systems, and autonomous logistics—has expanded the
attack surface dramatically.
Key vulnerabilities:
• Legacy systems : Many operational technologies (OT) were not designed with
cybersecurity in mind.
• Interconnected networks: Grid operators, logistics hubs, and utility providers share data
across public and private domains.
• AI-driven automation : Predictive maintenance, load balancing, and traffic optimization rely
on AI models that can be poisoned or manipulated.
• Quantum threat exposure: Cryptographic protocols securing control signals and telemetry
(e.g., VPNs, TLS) are vulnerable to future quantum decryption.
Strategic controls:
• AI-enhanced anomaly detection: Monitor real-time telemetry for deviations in voltage, flow,
or routing.
• Post-quantum cryptography (PQC): Secure SCADA communications and remote access
protocols.
• Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA): Enforce strict identity verification and micro-segmentation
across OT and IT boundaries.
• Red teaming with AI agents: Simulate adversarial behavior to test resilience of grid and
transport systems.
Sector-specific initiatives:
• Energy : EU’s Network Code on Cybersecurity, NIS2 mandates for grid operators, U.S.
DOE’s Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model (C2M2).
• Transpor t: ENISA’s guidance on aviation and rail cybersecurity, ISO/SAE 21434 for
automotive cybersecurity.
• Utilities : Integration of AI for water quality monitoring, predictive outage
management, and fraud detection.

Smart Grids and Industrial IoT (OT/ICS Integration)
Smart grids and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems represent the fusion of physical
infrastructure with digital intelligence. Their complexity and scale make them prime targets for cyber-
physical attacks.
Characteristics:
• Distributed sensors and actuators: Thousands of edge devices collect and transmit data.
• Real-time control loops : Automated responses to environmental and operational
changes.
• Protocol diversity : Use of Modbus, DNP3, OPC-UA, and proprietary protocols.
• Hybrid environments : Mix of legacy PLCs, modern cloud platforms, and AI-driven
analytics.
Risks:
• AI model drift : Changes in operational patterns can degrade model accuracy,
leading to unsafe decisions.

• Quantum decryption of control signals: Threatens integrity of command-and-control channels.
• Supply chain vulnerabilities: Compromised firmware or hardware in IIoT devices.
Protective measures:
• AI-enhanced IDS for OT : Tailored to detect anomalies in industrial protocols and physical
process variables.
• Digital twins : Simulate and validate system behavior under attack scenarios.
• PQC integration in ICS : Replace RSA/ECC in device authentication and firmware updates.
• Secure boot and attestation: Ensure device integrity from startup through operation.
Standards and frameworks:
• IEC 62443 : Cybersecurity for industrial automation and control systems.
• NIST SP 800-82 : Guide to ICS security.
• ENISA’s IIoT threat landscape: Sector-specific threat taxonomy and mitigation strategies.

Healthcare and Financial Services
These sectors handle sensitive personal and financial data, making them high-value targets for
cybercrime, espionage, and disruption.
Healthcare
• Digital transformation: EHRs, telemedicine, AI diagnostics, and connected medical devices.
• Threats:
o Ransomware targeting hospital networks.
o Deepfake impersonation of clinicians or patients.
o Quantum decryption of long-term medical records.
• Controls:
o AI-driven threat intelligence to monitor dark web chatter and phishing campaigns.
o PQC for patient data encryption and secure device communication.
o NLP-based anomaly detection in clinical documentation and billing.

Financial Services
• Digitization of banking: Mobile apps, algorithmic trading, blockchain, and AI fraud detection.
• Threats:
o Synthetic identity fraud using AI-generated personas.
o Quantum attacks on blockchain signatures and transaction integrity.
o AI model manipulation in credit scoring or risk assessment.
• Controls:
o Behavioral biometrics enhanced by AI.
o Quantum-safe blockchain protocols (e.g., hash-based signatures).
o AI governance frameworks aligned with DORA and ISO/IEC 42001.
Regulatory alignment:
• Healthcare: GDPR, HIPAA, EU AI Act (for diagnostic AI), ISO/IEC 27799 (health data protection).
• Finance: DORA, PSD2, Basel III, ISO/IEC 20022, NIST AI RMF.


Conclusion Protecting critical infrastructure in the AI–quantum era requires sector-specific strategies
that integrate technical controls, operational resilience, and regulatory compliance. From smart grids
to hospitals and financial networks, the fusion of AI, cybersecurity, and quantum readiness is not
optional—it’s existential.

Some examples:
Below are sector-specific threat matrices and NIS2 compliance roadmaps tailored for four critical
industries: Energy, Healthcare, Food, and Transport. Each matrix identifies key threat vectors,
vulnerabilities, and strategic controls, followed by a compliance roadmap aligned with NIS2
governance, risk, and reporting mandates.

ENERGY SECTOR
Threat Matrix
Threat Vector Vulnerability Impact Mitigation Strategy
Quantum decryption
of SCADA
RSA/ECC-based control
signal encryption
Grid manipulation,
blackout
Migrate to PQC (e.g.,
Kyber, Dilithium)
AI model poisoning
(load mgmt)
Unverified training data
Overload, equipment
damage
Secure ML pipelines, XAI,
model validation
Supply chain
compromise
Third-party
firmware/hardware
Remote access, data
exfiltration
Vendor risk assessments,
SBOM, ZTA
Insider threats
Privileged access to OT
systems
Sabotage, data leaks
Role-based access,
behavioral analytics
Ransomware on ICS Legacy OS, flat networks
Operational
downtime
Network segmentation,
AI-enhanced IDS

NIS2 Compliance Roadmap
• Governance : Assign board-level accountability for cybersecurity and quantum
readiness.
• Risk Management : Conduct quantum threat modeling and AI risk assessments.
• Technical Measures : Deploy PQC, AI-enhanced IDS, and secure firmware updates.
• Incident Reporting : Establish 24-hour breach notification workflows.
• Supply Chain Security : Require compliance from vendors and monitor SBOMs.

HEALTHCARE SECTOR
Threat Matrix
Threat Vector Vulnerability Impact Mitigation Strategy
Quantum decryption
of EHRs
Long-term encrypted
patient records
Privacy breach, legal
exposure
PQC for data-at-rest and in-
transit
Deepfake
impersonation
Weak identity
verification
Fraudulent access,
misdiagnosis
Biometric MFA, AI-based
deepfake detection
AI diagnostic bias Skewed training data Misdiagnosis, liability
Bias audits, explainable AI,
ethical review
IoMT device hijacking
Insecure firmware,
default credentials
Patient harm, data
theft
Secure boot, device
attestation, ZTA
Ransomware on
hospital IT
Unpatched systems,
phishing
Service disruption,
data loss
AI-enhanced SOC, phishing
simulations

NIS2 Compliance Roadmap
• Governance : Integrate cybersecurity into clinical governance boards.
• Risk Management : Map AI and quantum risks to patient safety and data integrity.
• Technical Measures : Encrypt with PQC, secure IoMT endpoints, deploy AI threat
detection.
• Incident Reporting : Align with GDPR and NIS2 dual-reporting obligations.
• Training & Awareness : Conduct role-based training for clinicians and IT staff.

FOOD & AGRICULTURE SECTOR
Threat Matrix
Threat Vector Vulnerability Impact Mitigation Strategy
Quantum decryption
of logistics
Encrypted supply
chain data
Spoilage, fraud,
disruption
PQC for logistics platforms
and APIs
AI manipulation of
sensors
Unverified sensor
data
Contamination, false
alerts
Secure sensor calibration, AI
model audits
OT/ICS sabotage
Legacy PLCs in food
processing
Production halt, safety
risks
ICS segmentation, AI-
enhanced anomaly detection
Phishing targeting
suppliers
Low awareness in
SMEs
Credential theft, fraud
Awareness campaigns, email
filtering AI
Blockchain tampering
(traceability)
Weak smart
contract security
False provenance,
reputational harm
Quantum-safe blockchain,
smart contract audits

NIS2 Compliance Roadmap
• Governance : Extend cybersecurity oversight to food safety and supply chain
teams.
• Risk Management : Include AI and quantum threats in HACCP and traceability systems.
• Technical Measures : Secure OT/ICS, deploy PQC, monitor AI-driven quality control.
• Incident Reporting : Establish protocols for contamination-related cyber events.
• Supply Chain Security : Require NIS2 compliance from logistics and processing partners.

TRANSPORT SECTOR
Threat Matrix
Threat Vector Vulnerability Impact Mitigation Strategy
Quantum decryption
of GPS/API
RSA/ECC in navigation
systems
Route hijacking,
delivery delays
PQC for GPS, fleet
management APIs
AI manipulation of
traffic models
Poisoned training data Congestion, accidents
Secure ML pipelines, model
explainability
Autonomous vehicle
sabotage
Insecure firmware,
sensor spoofing
Physical harm,
liability
Secure OTA updates, AI-based
anomaly detection
Ransomware on
logistics IT
Centralized route
planning systems
Supply chain paralysis
SOC 2.0, AI-enhanced threat
detection
Insider threats
Credential misuse in
control centers
Route manipulation,
data theft
Behavioral analytics, access
controls

NIS2 Compliance Roadmap
• Governance : Embed cybersecurity into transport safety and logistics governance.
• Risk Management : Conduct AI and quantum risk assessments for autonomous systems.
• Technical Measures : PQC for navigation, secure firmware, AI-enhanced SOC.
• Incident Reporting : Integrate with transport safety incident workflows.
• Training & Awareness : Upskill fleet operators and logistics planners on cyber hygiene.

The convergence of quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity is redefining the
contours of national security and digital sovereignty. As quantum supremacy approaches and AI
systems become central to governance, defense, and economic competitiveness, states must
recalibrate their strategic posture. This includes asserting control over data, aligning with international
standards, and engaging in cyber diplomacy to safeguard sovereignty in a multipolar digital world.
17. National Security and Sovereignty

Quantum Supremacy and Geopolitical Implications
Quantum supremacy refers to the point at which a quantum computer can solve problems beyond the
reach of classical supercomputers. While current quantum systems are still in the noisy intermediate-
scale quantum (NISQ) phase, breakthroughs from players like IBM, Google, and China’s Quantum
Research Institute suggest that practical quantum advantage may emerge within the next decade.
Strategic implications:
• Cryptographic disruption:
o Shor’s algorithm threatens RSA, ECC, and other public-key cryptosystems.
o Nations must migrate to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to protect classified
communications, military assets, and diplomatic channels.
• Intelligence asymmetry:
o Quantum-enhanced decryption and optimization could give early adopters a decisive
edge in cyber espionage, logistics, and battlefield simulations.
o “Harvest now, decrypt later” strategies may already be underway, targeting encrypted
diplomatic cables, defense plans, and financial records.
• Technological sovereignty:
o Quantum hardware supply chains (e.g., superconducting qubits, photonic chips) are
concentrated in a few countries.
o Control over quantum intellectual property and talent pipelines is becoming a
strategic priority.
• Geopolitical competition:
o The U.S., China, EU, and Russia are investing billions in quantum R&D.
o Quantum diplomacy is emerging as a new domain, with alliances forming around
standards, ethics, and export controls.
National responses:
• Establish Quantum Readiness Task Forces within defense and intelligence agencies.
• Fund quantum-safe infrastructure modernization across critical sectors.
• Develop quantum export control regimes and non-proliferation frameworks.
• Engage in multilateral quantum ethics dialogues to prevent misuse.
Quantum supremacy is not just a technological milestone—it is a strategic inflection point.

AI Sovereignty and Data Localization
AI sovereignty refers to a nation’s ability to control the development, deployment, and governance of
AI systems within its jurisdiction. As AI becomes embedded in defense, healthcare, finance, and public
administration, sovereignty over algorithms and data is critical.
Key dimensions:
• Data localization:
o Mandates that sensitive data (e.g., health, biometric, financial) be stored and
processed within national borders.
o Protects against foreign surveillance, unauthorized access, and extraterritorial
enforcement.
• Algorithmic control:

o Nations must ensure that AI systems used in public services are transparent,
auditable, and aligned with local laws and values.
o Dependency on foreign AI models (e.g., LLMs hosted abroad) raises concerns about
bias, manipulation, and strategic vulnerability.
• AI infrastructure:
o Sovereign cloud platforms, national AI compute clusters, and domestic model training
pipelines are essential.
o Investment in open-source AI and indigenous talent development supports long-term
autonomy.
• Regulatory frameworks:
o The EU AI Act, India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and China’s AI governance
laws reflect divergent approaches to AI sovereignty.
o Harmonization with global standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF) is necessary
to balance sovereignty with interoperability.
Strategic actions:
• Enforce data residency requirements for critical sectors.
• Develop national AI registries and model certification schemes.
• Promote AI ethics boards and algorithmic transparency mandates.
• Incentivize domestic AI innovation ecosystems through grants and public–private
partnerships.
AI sovereignty is the foundation of digital independence and democratic resilience.

Cyber Diplomacy and International Standards Alignment
Cyber diplomacy is the practice of managing international relations in cyberspace. As digital threats
transcend borders, nations must collaborate to establish norms, share intelligence, and align
standards.
Objectives of cyber diplomacy:
• Norm-building:
o Define acceptable state behavior in cyberspace (e.g., non-targeting of hospitals,
election infrastructure).
o Support UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) and Open-Ended Working Group
(OEWG) initiatives.
• Confidence-building measures (CBMs):
o Exchange threat intelligence, incident reports, and forensic data.
o Conduct joint cyber exercises and tabletop simulations.
• Capacity building:
o Support developing nations in building cyber resilience.
o Share best practices in AI governance and quantum readiness.
• Standards alignment:
o Collaborate on international standards for cybersecurity (ISO/IEC 27001), AI (ISO/IEC
42001), and quantum cryptography (NIST PQC).
o Ensure interoperability across borders while respecting national sovereignty.
Challenges:
• Fragmentation:
o Divergent regulatory regimes (e.g., GDPR vs. U.S. data laws) complicate cooperation.
• Attribution:
o Difficulty in attributing cyberattacks hampers diplomatic response.
• Weaponization of norms:
o Some states may use cyber norms to justify surveillance or censorship.
Strategic initiatives:
• Establish Cyber Foreign Affairs Units within ministries of foreign affairs.

• Participate in multilateral cyber alliances (e.g., EU Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox, NATO CCDCOE).
• Promote digital non-alignment strategies to avoid dependency on dominant tech blocs.
• Support global AI and quantum ethics forums to shape responsible innovation.
Cyber diplomacy is the bridge between sovereignty and global cooperation.


Conclusion National security and sovereignty in the digital age require strategic mastery of quantum
computing, AI governance, and cyber diplomacy. By asserting control over data, aligning with
international standards, and preparing for quantum disruption, states can safeguard their autonomy,
protect citizens, and shape the future of global digital order.

As enterprises accelerate digital transformation, cloud environments have become the backbone of
modern operations. The convergence of AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing introduces new
risks and opportunities that demand a reimagined security posture. This includes AI-driven Zero Trust
Architecture (ZTA), quantum-resilient cloud security, and secure AI model hosting through federated
learning. Together, these pillars form the foundation of enterprise resilience in the post-quantum era.
18. Enterprise and Cloud Environments

AI-Driven Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) is a cybersecurity model that assumes no implicit trust—whether inside
or outside the network perimeter. Every access request must be continuously verified based on
identity, context, and risk.
AI’s role in ZTA:
• Behavioral analytics:
o AI models analyze user and device behavior to detect anomalies and assign dynamic
trust scores.
o Example: A user accessing sensitive data from an unusual location triggers step-up
authentication.
• Adaptive access control:
o AI enables real-time policy enforcement based on risk signals.
o Access decisions are context-aware (e.g., time, device health, geolocation, workload
sensitivity).
• Threat detection and response:
o AI-enhanced Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems correlate
logs, detect lateral movement, and automate containment.
o Machine learning models identify patterns of privilege escalation, credential misuse,
and insider threats.
• Microsegmentation:
o AI helps define granular access zones and enforce least privilege across cloud
workloads, containers, and endpoints.

ZTA components enhanced by AI:
Component AI Enhancement
Identity & Access Mgmt Risk-based MFA, biometric verification
Device Trust AI-based posture assessment
Network Security ML-driven traffic analysis
Application Security AI-based anomaly detection
Data Protection NLP for sensitive data classification
AI-driven ZTA transforms static security into a dynamic, intelligent defense posture.

Cloud Security in the Post-Quantum Era
Cloud environments are particularly vulnerable to quantum threats due to their reliance on public-key
cryptography for authentication, key exchange, and data protection.
Quantum risks in cloud:
• Cryptographic collapse:
o RSA and ECC used in TLS, VPNs, and cloud APIs are vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm.
o Grover’s algorithm weakens symmetric encryption (e.g., AES-128).
• Data longevity:

o Sensitive data stored in cloud archives (e.g., backups, logs, medical records) may be
decrypted retroactively.
• Multi-tenant exposure:
o Shared infrastructure increases the blast radius of quantum-enabled breaches.
Post-quantum cloud security strategies:
1. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC):
o Implement NIST-approved algorithms (e.g., CRYSTALS-Kyber, Dilithium) for key
exchange and digital signatures.
o Use hybrid cryptographic schemes during transition.
2. Crypto-agility:
o Design cloud services to support algorithm swapping without downtime.
o Use modular cryptographic libraries and centralized key management.
3. Quantum-safe VPNs and TLS:
o Upgrade VPN gateways and TLS stacks to support PQC.
o Validate interoperability across cloud providers and edge devices.
4. Quantum threat modeling:
o Include quantum scenarios in cloud risk assessments and business continuity plans.
5. Secure cloud APIs:
o Enforce PQC in API authentication and data exchange protocols.
Compliance alignment:
• Map quantum controls to ISO/IEC 27001, NIS2, and Cyber Resilience Act.
• Maintain audit trails of cryptographic transitions and key lifecycle events.
Quantum resilience is now a core requirement for cloud security.

Secure AI Model Hosting and Federated Learning
AI models are increasingly hosted in cloud environments, powering applications from fraud detection
to predictive maintenance. Their security is paramount.
Threats to AI model hosting:
• Model theft:
o Attackers may extract proprietary models via API probing or memory access.
• Model inversion:
o Sensitive training data (e.g., medical records) can be reconstructed from model
outputs.
• Adversarial inputs:
o Crafted inputs can cause misclassification or system manipulation.
• Poisoning attacks:
o Malicious data injected during training degrades model integrity.
Secure hosting strategies:
1. Confidential computing:
o Use Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to isolate model inference and training.
o Encrypt data in use, not just at rest or in transit.
2. Access control and monitoring:
o Implement fine-grained access policies for model APIs.
o Use AI observability tools to monitor drift, bias, and anomalies.
3. Model watermarking and fingerprinting:
o Embed identifiers to detect unauthorized use or tampering.
4. Explainability and auditability:
o Use XAI frameworks (e.g., SHAP, LIME) to validate decisions and support compliance.
Federated Learning (FL)
Federated Learning enables decentralized model training across multiple devices or organizations
without sharing raw data.

• Privacy-preserving:
o Sensitive data remains local; only model updates are shared.
• Scalable and secure:
o Supports cross-border collaboration while respecting data sovereignty.
• Use cases:
o Healthcare (e.g., hospital collaboration), finance (e.g., fraud detection), edge AI (e.g.,
smart cities).
Security in FL:
• Secure aggregation:
o Prevents reconstruction of individual updates.
• Differential privacy:
o Adds noise to updates to protect individual data points.
• Robustness to poisoning:
o Detects and excludes malicious participants.
Federated learning is a cornerstone of secure, ethical, and scalable AI in cloud environments.

Conclusion Enterprise and cloud environments must evolve to meet the challenges of AI and quantum
convergence. By implementing AI-driven Zero Trust, quantum-resilient cloud security, and secure AI
hosting with federated learning, organizations can build future-proof infrastructures that uphold trust,
compliance, and innovation.

PART VI — IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP AND FUTURE OUTLOOK
19. Roadmap to 2030
As the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and quantum computing accelerates,
organizations must adopt a forward-looking implementation roadmap that ensures resilience,
compliance, and strategic advantage. The period leading to 2030 will be defined by three
transformative pillars: AI adoption in cybersecurity, migration to post-quantum encryption, and
workforce transformation through digital skills development. This roadmap outlines the key
milestones, strategic actions, and governance imperatives required to navigate this evolution.

AI Adoption in Cybersecurity Programs
AI is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of modern cybersecurity, enabling intelligent threat detection,
autonomous response, and predictive risk management.
Strategic Milestones (2025–2030):
1. 2025–2026: Foundation Phase
o Deploy AI-enhanced Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems.
o Integrate machine learning models into intrusion detection and anomaly detection
workflows.
o Begin pilot programs for AI-driven threat intelligence and SOC automation.
2. 2026–2028: Expansion Phase
o Implement AI-based behavioral analytics for identity and access management (IAM).
o Adopt explainable AI (XAI) frameworks to ensure transparency and auditability.
o Extend AI capabilities to fraud detection, insider threat monitoring, and supply chain
risk analysis.
3. 2028–2030: Optimization Phase
o Transition to autonomous SOC 2.0 environments with agentic AI orchestration.
o Integrate AI into governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platforms for real-time risk
scoring.
o Deploy federated learning across multi-tenant environments to enhance privacy-
preserving threat detection.
Governance Considerations:
• Align AI adoption with ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management Systems) and NIST AI RMF.
• Establish AI ethics boards and model lifecycle governance.
• Conduct regular bias audits, drift monitoring, and adversarial robustness testing.

Transition to Post-Quantum Encryption
Quantum computing poses an existential threat to classical cryptographic systems. The transition to
post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is a strategic imperative for all organizations handling sensitive
data.
Strategic Milestones (2025–2030):
1. 2025–2026: Discovery and Planning
o Inventory cryptographic assets across applications, devices, and third-party services.
o Conduct quantum threat modeling and impact assessments.
o Develop a crypto-agility strategy and migration roadmap.
2. 2026–2028: Pilot and Integration
o Implement hybrid cryptographic schemes (classical + PQC) in TLS, VPN, and PKI
systems.
o Begin pilot deployments of NIST-approved PQC algorithms (e.g., Kyber, Dilithium).
o Update certificate management systems and key lifecycle operations.
3. 2028–2030: Full Migration
o Replace RSA/ECC with PQC across all critical systems.

o Validate interoperability across cloud, edge, and IoT environments.
o Establish quantum-safe incident response and business continuity protocols.
Governance Considerations:
• Map PQC controls to ISO/IEC 27001, NIS2, and Cyber Resilience Act requirements.
• Maintain audit trails of cryptographic transitions and key rotations.
• Collaborate with vendors and regulators to ensure compliance and interoperability.

Workforce Transformation and Digital Skills
The success of AI and quantum integration depends on a digitally skilled workforce capable of
navigating complex technologies, ethical dilemmas, and regulatory landscapes.
Strategic Milestones (2025–2030):
1. 2025–2026: Skills Gap Analysis
o Assess current workforce capabilities across cybersecurity, AI, and quantum domains.
o Identify critical roles requiring upskilling or reskilling (e.g., quantum cryptographers, AI
risk analysts).
2. 2026–2028: Training and Certification
o Launch role-based training programs in AI governance, quantum resilience, and
secure development.
o Partner with academic institutions and certification bodies (e.g., ISC², ISACA, ENISA) to
deliver accredited programs.
o Promote cross-disciplinary learning (e.g., ethics, law, data science, cybersecurity).
3. 2028–2030: Culture and Retention
o Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
o Implement digital talent pipelines and mentorship programs.
o Align workforce transformation with ESG and DEI goals.
Governance Considerations:
• Embed digital skills development into strategic HR and cybersecurity planning.
• Monitor training effectiveness through KPIs and performance metrics.
• Ensure alignment with EU Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition and national cyber workforce
strategies.

Integrated Roadmap Summary
Pillar 2025–2026 2026–2028 2028–2030
AI in Cybersecurity Pilot AI in SOC Expand to IAM, fraud
Autonomous SOC
2.0
Post-Quantum Encryption
Asset inventory,
roadmap
Hybrid crypto
deployment
Full PQC migration
Workforce
Transformation
Skills gap analysis Training & certification Culture & retention


Conclusion The roadmap to 2030 is not just a technical journey—it is a strategic transformation. By
embedding AI into cybersecurity, transitioning to quantum-safe encryption, and empowering the
workforce with future-ready skills, organizations can build resilient, compliant, and innovative digital
ecosystems. This roadmap must be continuously refined through governance, collaboration, and
foresight.

20. Vision Beyond 2030
As we move beyond 2030, the digital landscape will be shaped by the convergence of autonomous
cybersecurity, AI–quantum symbiosis, and self-governing ecosystems. These developments will
redefine how systems defend, adapt, and evolve—ushering in a new era of intelligent, resilient, and
sovereign digital infrastructure. This vision is not speculative fiction; it is a strategic trajectory
grounded in emerging capabilities, geopolitical imperatives, and technological inevitability.

Autonomous Cybersecurity Systems
Autonomous cybersecurity systems represent the next evolutionary leap from AI-assisted defense to
fully self-directed, adaptive security architectures.
Defining characteristics:
• Self-detection : Systems continuously monitor their own behavior, network traffic, and
external threat intelligence to identify anomalies without human intervention.
• Self-response : Upon detecting a threat, autonomous agents execute containment,
remediation, and recovery actions in real time.
• Self-optimization: Security configurations, access policies, and detection models are
dynamically tuned based on evolving threat landscapes and operational context.
• Self-validation : Decisions are logged, explained, and validated against compliance
frameworks and ethical boundaries.
Core technologies:
• Agentic AI : Autonomous agents capable of reasoning, planning, and executing complex
security tasks across distributed environments.
• Reinforcement learning: Enables systems to learn optimal defense strategies through
simulated and real-world feedback.
• Digital immune systems: Inspired by biological immunity, these systems detect and neutralize
threats through pattern recognition and memory.
• AI-enhanced deception: Dynamic honeypots, decoys, and misinformation tactics deployed
autonomously to mislead and trap adversaries.
Strategic implications:
• Reduces reliance on human analysts in Security Operations Centers (SOCs).
• Enables 24/7 defense across cloud, edge, and quantum networks.
• Supports sovereign defense capabilities in critical infrastructure and national security
domains.
Autonomous cybersecurity will be the foundation of resilient digital sovereignty in the post-2030 era.

AI–Quantum Symbiosis
AI and quantum computing are not merely parallel innovations—they are converging into a symbiotic
relationship that will redefine computation, intelligence, and security.
Synergistic capabilities:
• Quantum-accelerated AI:
o Quantum processors enable exponential speedups in training deep learning models,
solving optimization problems, and simulating complex systems.
o Algorithms like Quantum Support Vector Machines (QSVM), Quantum GANs, and
Quantum Reinforcement Learning will outperform classical counterparts.
• AI-enhanced quantum control:
o AI models optimize quantum error correction, qubit calibration, and gate fidelity.
o Reinforcement learning agents manage quantum workloads and resource allocation.
• Joint threat modeling:
o AI–quantum systems simulate adversarial behavior, cryptographic attacks, and
systemic vulnerabilities at unprecedented scale and precision.
• Quantum-AI cryptography:

o Hybrid protocols combining quantum key distribution (QKD) with AI-based anomaly
detection and adaptive encryption.
Strategic applications:
• National defense: Quantum-AI systems for battlefield simulations, autonomous drones, and
secure communications.
• Healthcare: Quantum-enhanced AI for drug discovery, genomics, and personalized medicine.
• Finance: Real-time fraud detection, portfolio optimization, and quantum-secure transactions.
Governance imperatives:
• Develop integrated AI–quantum ethics frameworks.
• Establish global standards for quantum-AI interoperability and security.
• Monitor dual-use risks and prevent weaponization of quantum-AI capabilities.
AI–quantum symbiosis will be the computational engine of the next digital civilization.

Self-Healing, Self-Governing Digital Ecosystems
Beyond 2030, digital ecosystems will evolve into autonomous entities capable of self-regulation, self-
repair, and self-optimization—mirroring biological systems in complexity and resilience.
Key attributes:
• Self-healing:
o Systems detect faults, breaches, or performance degradation and autonomously
initiate recovery protocols.
o Includes rollback mechanisms, patch deployment, and reconfiguration without
downtime.
• Self-governing:
o Embedded governance logic enforces compliance, ethical boundaries, and operational
policies.
o AI agents mediate conflicts, allocate resources, and adapt rules based on stakeholder
input and environmental changes.
• Self-evolving:
o Continuous learning from internal telemetry, external data, and simulated futures.
o Evolution of architecture, algorithms, and governance models without manual
intervention.
Enabling technologies:
• Federated intelligence:
o Distributed AI agents collaborate across organizations, sectors, and borders while
preserving data sovereignty.
• Blockchain-based governance:
o Smart contracts enforce rules, audit trails, and consensus across decentralized
ecosystems.
• Digital twins and synthetic environments:
o Simulate entire ecosystems for stress testing, optimization, and predictive
maintenance.
Use cases:
• Smart cities: Autonomous traffic systems, energy grids, and emergency response networks.
• Critical infrastructure: Self-regulating water, power, and transport systems with embedded
resilience.
• Enterprise ecosystems: Self-orchestrating supply chains, compliance workflows, and customer
engagement platforms.
Strategic vision:
• Shift from reactive security to proactive resilience.
• Transition from centralized control to distributed autonomy.

• Enable sovereign digital ecosystems that align with national values, global norms, and ethical
principles.
Self-healing, self-governing ecosystems will be the living infrastructure of the post-digital world.

Conclusion The vision beyond 2030 is one of intelligent autonomy, computational symbiosis, and
systemic resilience. Autonomous cybersecurity systems will defend without fatigue. AI–quantum
symbiosis will unlock new frontiers of intelligence. Self-healing ecosystems will adapt and evolve like
living organisms. To realize this vision, organizations and governments must invest in foundational
technologies, ethical governance, and strategic foresight—today.

This section defines how quantum computing fundamentally transforms cybersecurity, cryptography,
and compliance obligations under NIS2 and related frameworks — and how organizations must act
now to achieve quantum readiness by 2030.

21. Quantum Governance & Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Strategy

8.1 Objective
To define a Quantum Governance and Resilience Framework ensuring the organization is:
• Strategically quantum-aware,
• Technically quantum-secure, and
• Organizationally quantum-ready.
The framework integrates post-quantum cryptography (PQC), quantum-safe policies, and resilience
planning across all critical infrastructures, aligning with NIS2, ISO 27001:2022, ENISA guidelines, and
emerging EU Quantum Strategy.
“Quantum readiness is not a technology upgrade — it is a new era of digital sovereignty.”

8.2 Strategic Context
Quantum computing’s rise introduces dual disruption:
1. Computational leap — algorithms (e.g., Shor, Grover) can potentially break today’s
asymmetric encryption (RSA, ECC).
2. Security inversion — traditional cryptography becomes obsolete faster than infrastructure can
adapt.
Key Risks
• Decryption of stored encrypted data (“harvest now, decrypt later”).
• Compromised identity systems (PKI, digital certificates).
• Integrity loss in long-lived critical data (contracts, archives).
• Regulatory non-compliance if quantum-vulnerable cryptography remains after NIS2 deadlines.
Key Opportunity
• Quantum technologies (QKD, QRNG) enable next-generation secure communications and
ultra-trusted networks.

8.3 Governance Framework Overview
Layer Scope Standard / Regulation Ownership
Strategic Quantum
Governance
Policy, readiness roadmap,
investment planning
ENISA PQC Guidelines, EU
Quantum Flagship
CIO / CISO
Operational
Quantum Security
Cryptography transition,
inventory management
ISO 23837 (Quantum-
safe cryptography)
CISO / Security
Architect
Compliance &
Regulation
NIS2, GDPR, Digital
Operational Resilience Act
(DORA)
Compliance / Legal DPO / Risk Officer

Layer Scope Standard / Regulation Ownership
Technology
Integration
Implementation, testing, and
validation
ETSI GS QSC, NIST PQC
standards
IT Infrastructure /
Network Security

8.4 Quantum Risk Landscape and Impact
Category Description Quantum Impact Mitigation Path
Cryptography
Public-key encryption (RSA,
ECC)
Vulnerable to Shor’s
algorithm
Transition to PQC
algorithms
Data Sovereignty Long-term data confidentiality
Retrospective
decryption
Encrypt with PQC now
(crypto-agility)
Identity
Management
PKI, digital signatures
Signature forgery
possible
Quantum-safe signature
schemes
Operational
Resilience
Critical system downtime
Quantum hardware
attacks
Quantum-resilient
failover designs
Compliance Risk
NIS2, GDPR breaches due to
data exposure
Financial / reputational
loss
Early quantum risk audits

8.5 Quantum-Ready Security Architecture
8.5.1 Architectural Principles
1. Crypto-Agility:
Design systems capable of switching cryptographic algorithms dynamically without full system
rebuilds.
2. Quantum-Safe Hybridization:
Combine classical (ECC/RSA) and PQC algorithms for transitional resilience.
3. Layered Resilience:
Quantum-safe encryption + network segmentation + zero-trust model.
4. Secure Supply Chain:
Assess third-party compliance with PQC and NIS2 readiness.
8.5.2 Target Architecture
Layer Quantum-Secure Components Maturity Goal
Network Quantum-key distribution (QKD), hybrid VPNs 2030
Application PQC libraries integrated into APIs 2028
Identity Quantum-safe certificates (SPKI, Dilithium) 2027
Storage Long-term PQC encryption (FrodoKEM, Kyber) 2026
Infrastructure Quantum-safe hardware modules (HSMs) 2029

8.6 Post-Quantum Cryptography Transition Program
8.6.1 Roadmap
Phase Timeline Key Deliverables Owners
Phase 1 — Discovery &
Inventory
2025–
2026
Complete inventory of cryptographic assets,
dependencies, and certificate chains
PMO / Security
Architects
Phase 2 — Risk
Assessment
2026–
2027
Quantum risk scoring (critical vs non-critical
systems)
CISO / Risk Office
Phase 3 — PQC Pilot
2027–
2028
Pilot integration of NIST-standard PQC
algorithms (Kyber, Dilithium)
IT Infra /
Application Leads

Phase Timeline Key Deliverables Owners
Phase 4 — Migration
2028–
2030
Enterprise-wide deployment, dual-stack
crypto
CIO / CISO
Phase 5 — Optimization
& Monitoring
2030+
Full compliance certification, continuous
quantum readiness testing
PMO / Internal
Audit

8.7 Integration with NIS2
8.7.1 NIS2 Articles Impacted
NIS2
Article
Requirement Quantum Implication Action
Art.
21(2)(b)
Risk analysis & security
policies
Must include quantum risks Extend risk register
Art.
21(2)(d)
Incident handling
Prepare for crypto failure
scenarios
Include PQC incident
playbooks
Art.
21(2)(e)
Supply chain security
Evaluate vendors’ PQC
readiness
Update procurement
policies
Art.
21(2)(g)
Testing & auditing Regular PQC validation Introduce crypto-agility tests
Art. 23 Reporting obligations Breach of PQC systems
Integrate in SOC alerting
pipeline
8.7.2 NIS2 Compliance Alignment Plan
1. Extend Information Security Policy to include PQC requirements.
2. Add Quantum Risk Module to the enterprise risk register.
3. Update Change Control Process to test quantum-safe compatibility.
4. Include Quantum Security KPI in Board-level dashboards.
5. Launch Quantum Awareness & Training for IT and Compliance teams.

8.8 Risk & Performance Management in the Quantum Era
Domain KPI Target Frequency
Cryptography Exposure % legacy crypto eliminated >90% Annual
PQC Adoption % critical systems migrated 100% 2030
Supply Chain Readiness % vendors quantum-compliant >85% Annual
NIS2 Integration # of quantum risks registered 100% Quarterly
Incident Preparedness Mean Time to Respond to Crypto Failure <4h Monthly
Compliance External Audit Pass Rate 100% Annual

8.9 Training, Awareness & Communication
8.9.1 Target Audience
• Executives: Quantum strategy and investment logic.
• IT & Security Teams: PQC implementation, crypto-agility.
• Legal & Compliance: Regulatory implications (NIS2, AI Act).
• PMO: Quantum risk integration in portfolio and change governance.
8.9.2 Training Streams
Type Focus Delivery
Executive Briefings Strategic threats & opportunities Quarterly workshops

Type Focus Delivery
Technical Bootcamps PQC, QKD, and quantum-safe migration Hands-on labs
Policy Training NIS2 quantum implications eLearning modules
Awareness Campaigns “Quantum Ready by 2030” vision Intranet, videos, dashboards


8.10 Documentation & Evidence Model
8.10.1 Controlled Documents
Document Purpose Owner
Quantum Security Policy Defines principles, roles, responsibilities CISO
PQC Migration Plan Implementation roadmap CIO / PMO
Quantum Risk Register Captures all quantum-related risks Risk Office
Quantum Audit Trail Demonstrates compliance and readiness Internal Audit
NIS2 Quantum Annex Supplements NIS2 compliance documentation Legal / Compliance
8.10.2 Evidence Repository
• Repository within GRC system linking:
o PQC compliance reports
o Cryptographic asset inventories
o Risk treatment records
o Vendor attestations
o Audit logs and certificates
All evidence should be machine-readable, timestamped, and digitally signed (preferably with PQC-
based signatures).

8.11 Quantum Governance Board
Role Responsibility Reporting Line
Quantum Program Director Oversees strategic roadmap CIO
Chief Information Security Officer
(CISO)
Quantum security & NIS2 compliance CEO / Board
Head of PMO
Integrates quantum milestones into portfolio
planning
COO
Risk & Audit Lead Monitors risk posture & audit readiness
Audit
Committee
External Advisor (Quantum Expert) Provides technical horizon scanning CIO Council
This board acts as the nucleus of quantum governance, ensuring cross-functional coordination and
strategic alignment with digital transformation.


8.12 Roadmap to Quantum Readiness (2025-2035)
Horizon Strategic Goal Milestones
2025–2026: Awareness &
Inventory
Establish governance, asset
mapping
Policy approved, crypto inventory
complete
2026–2028: Transition & Pilot
PQC testing, hybrid crypto
deployment
First PQC pilot operational

Horizon Strategic Goal Milestones
2028–2030: Integration &
Compliance
Full PQC migration NIS2 compliance certification
2030–2035: Optimization &
Innovation
Quantum-enabled security
operations (QKD)
Continuous resilience testing


8.13 Expected Outcomes
• Full NIS2 and PQC compliance by 2030.
• Quantified risk reduction in cryptographic vulnerabilities (>90%).
• Cross-organizational quantum governance model integrated into enterprise risk management.
• Established crypto-agile architecture across all digital assets.
• Auditable, documented, and traceable compliance evidence.
• Cultural transformation: organization recognized as a quantum-secure leader.

This section serves as the capstone of the framework — where AI governance, Cybersecurity (NIS2),
Quantum readiness, and Portfolio Performance Management converge into a single, enterprise
intelligence ecosystem.


22. Integrated Governance Dashboard & Maturity Model

9.1 Objective
To build an integrated Governance Intelligence System that consolidates strategic, financial,
operational, and compliance metrics into one unified view — enabling the CIO, CFO, COO, and CISO
to:
• Monitor organizational resilience and digital maturity in real time,
• Anticipate risk exposure before it materializes, and
• Steer investments towards measurable value and compliance excellence.
“A resilient enterprise is one that measures what matters — and acts before it’s too late.”

9.2 Integrated Governance Model Overview
9.2.1 Core Principle
Governance is no longer siloed (Finance vs Risk vs IT).
Instead, the Integrated Governance Model (IGM) connects four layers of accountability:
Layer Focus Key Questions
Governance
Owner
Strategic
Governance
Alignment with long-
term goals
Are IT and digital initiatives aligned
with strategy?
CIO / COO
Financial
Governance
Value creation and fiscal
control
Are we investing in the right
priorities?
CFO / PMO
Cyber & Risk
Governance
Security, NIS2, quantum,
AI ethics
Are we compliant, secure, and
trusted?
CISO / Risk Office
Operational
Governance
Delivery, performance,
capacity
Are we delivering efficiently and
transparently?
PMO / Domain
Leads
The IGM is powered by ServiceNow SPM, Power BI dashboards, and GRC integration, ensuring data
consistency, traceability, and accountability across the enterprise.

9.3 Executive Governance Dashboard
9.3.1 Purpose
To provide the CIO Office and Executive Board with a single pane of glass for monitoring strategic
progress, operational performance, financial health, and regulatory posture.

9.3.2 Structure
Dashboard Pillar Key Indicators Source Systems
Strategic Alignment
% projects linked to strategic objectives, roadmap
completion rate
ServiceNow SPM,
Strategic Plan
Financial
Performance
Budget accuracy, CAPEX/OPEX ratio, earned value
variance
ERP, PMO Reports
Cybersecurity &
NIS2
Compliance status, critical vulnerabilities, incident
MTTR
SOC, SIEM, GRC
AI Governance AI model validation %, explainability audit score AI Ops Platform
Quantum
Readiness
% PQC adoption, quantum risk index, supplier
compliance
Risk Register, PQC
Inventory
Operational
Efficiency
Project success rate, resource utilization, backlog
trend
PMO Metrics
Resilience & Risk
Portfolio risk exposure, top 10 dependencies,
resilience score
ServiceNow Risk Module
Sustainability & ESG IT energy consumption, digital carbon footprint ESG Dashboard

9.3.3 Visualization Standards
• Color-coded risk matrix (green/yellow/red).
• Drill-down capability (portfolio → program → project).
• Automated alerts for variance thresholds.
• AI-assisted trend analysis for early risk detection.

9.4 Maturity Model — “Digital Governance Capability Matrix”
9.4.1 Purpose
To measure where the organization stands in its governance evolution — from reactive management
to predictive, AI-augmented leadership.
Level Maturity Stage Description Governance Traits
Level 1 — Ad Hoc
Fragmented
governance
Siloed tools, reactive decisions,
low transparency
Manual reporting
Level 2 —
Structured
Defined PMO &
processes
Standard templates, financial
tracking
Regular reporting cycles
Level 3 —
Integrated
Unified ServiceNow +
ERP + GRC
Shared KPIs, automated
workflows
Cross-functional
alignment
Level 4 —
Intelligent
Predictive analytics, AI
insights
Risk simulation, predictive
budgeting
Proactive risk
management
Level 5 —
Autonomous
AI-driven adaptive
governance
Quantum-ready, continuous
compliance
Strategic foresight,
resilience as default
Target: Achieve Level 4 maturity (“Intelligent Governance”) by 2028, and Level 5 by 2032.

9.5 Data Model & Architecture
9.5.1 Data Integration Fabric
• Core System of Record: ServiceNow (SPM + ITSM + GRC)
• System of Insight: Power BI / Fabric
• System of Collaboration: MS Teams + Confluence

• System of Compliance: Audit Vault + Evidence Repository
9.5.2 Key Data Flows
1. Project data → Portfolio dashboards (real-time updates).
2. Financial actuals → ERP → BI layer (monthly).
3. Compliance controls → GRC system → NIS2 evidence (quarterly).
4. AI & Quantum KPIs → Governance cockpit (continuous monitoring).
All data must be governed by metadata policies, ensuring:
• Traceability (“data lineage”)
• Integrity (via signed data records)
• Retention & archiving compliance (GDPR + NIS2)

9.6 Governance KPIs and Control Metrics
9.6.1 Strategic & Financial
KPI Definition Target
Strategy-to-Execution Index % of portfolio aligned with corporate strategy ≥95%
Budget Accuracy Planned vs Actual variance <5%
CAPEX/OPEX Balance Ratio of innovation to maintenance 60/40
Value Realization Rate Confirmed post-project ROI ≥80%

9.6.2 Cyber & Risk
KPI Definition Target
NIS2 Compliance Level % of controls fully implemented 100%
Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) Detection speed of incidents <1 hour
Mean Time to Recover (MTTR) Recovery time from incidents <4 hours
Quantum Risk Index Weighted score of crypto exposure ≤0.15
AI Governance Maturity % models validated & explainable ≥90%

9.6.3 Operational
KPI Definition Target
On-Time Project Delivery Projects meeting planned schedule ≥85%
Resource Utilization Efficiency % productive allocation ≥80%
Run Cost per Service OPEX / service count Year-on-year reduction
PMO Guild Participation % PMs engaged in PMO practice ≥90%

9.7 Decision-Making & Escalation Logic
9.7.1 Governance Escalation Path
1. Project Level:
PM escalates delivery or cost variance to Domain PMO.
2. Domain Level:
PMO consolidates and flags portfolio risks to Central PMO.
3. Central PMO:
Evaluates portfolio impact and triggers Steering Committee review.
4. Steering Committee:
Decides on reallocation, de-prioritization, or acceleration.
5. Executive Board:
Approves strategic shifts, budget reallocations, or escalated risk responses.

This tiered governance escalation ensures every decision is traceable, data-driven, and compliant.

9.8 Integration with Continuous Improvement
The Governance Dashboard is not static — it drives an ongoing Performance & Improvement Loop:
1. Measure: Collect quantitative & qualitative metrics from systems.
2. Analyze: Apply AI-driven analytics to detect trends and anomalies.
3. Decide: Governance Boards review KPIs and prioritize interventions.
4. Improve: Implement changes, update policies and training.
5. Audit: Validate through compliance checks and post-mortems.
This loop is embedded into the annual strategic planning cycle, ensuring adaptability to changing risks
and technologies.

9.9 Governance Reporting Cadence
Report Frequency Audience Key Outputs
Executive Dashboard Monthly
CIO / CFO / COO /
CISO
Portfolio health, risks, KPIs
Governance Review
Pack
Quarterly Steering Committee Roadmap updates, compliance score
Audit & Assurance
Report
Semi-
Annual
Internal Audit /
Regulator
NIS2, PQC, AI compliance
Annual Resilience
Report
Annual Board & Regulator
Enterprise resilience posture, quantum & AI
readiness index

9.10 Expected Outcomes
• Unified view of governance performance across Finance, Risk, and Technology.
• Real-time decision support integrating AI predictions and quantum risk analytics.
• Audit-ready compliance under NIS2, ISO, and future quantum standards.
• Enhanced organizational agility through dynamic portfolio and capacity balancing.
• Institutional resilience culture anchored in transparency, foresight, and evidence.

9.11 Next Evolution: Predictive & Autonomous Governance
By 2035, the Governance System will transition towards Autonomous Governance Intelligence (AGI) —
a self-learning ecosystem where:
• AI models continuously assess portfolio risks and recommend reallocations.
• Quantum-safe cryptography secures governance data integrity.
• Digital twins simulate enterprise-level resilience scenarios.
• NIS2 compliance reporting is automated and self-verifiable through immutable audit trails.

This is not just digital transformation — it’s institutional evolution.

To continue with 10: “Implementation Roadmap & Change Management Plan”, detailing how to roll
out this entire integrated governance system (phases, change strategy, training waves, quick wins,
tooling deployment timeline, and KPIs for adoption).
That section turns this high-level architecture into a fully executable transformation program.
Based on the previous, ongoing implementation ofNIS2 excercie in your organisation, you have
already a wealth of experiences, how to deal with this complexity;
Here is the next chapter of your executive-grade PMO Operating & Resilience Manual,.

23. Implementation Roadmap & Change Management Plan

10.1 Objective
To translate the Integrated Governance & Resilience Framework (Sections 1–9) into a phased,
executable transformation roadmap.
This roadmap ensures that strategy becomes operation — through structured governance rollout,
controlled adoption, and measurable outcomes.
It defines how to move from current maturity (reactive) to target state (predictive & intelligent
governance) — covering process redesign, tooling enablement, people development, and cultural
alignment.
“Execution excellence is not about doing more — it’s about doing what matters, systematically, and
with discipline.”

10.2 Transformation Principles
1. Value-Driven Sequencing:
Prioritize initiatives that deliver early visibility and measurable performance gains.
2. Minimum Viable Governance (MVG):
Deploy foundational governance capabilities early, then mature progressively.
3. Federated Accountability:
Empower business domains to co-own governance maturity, under PMO orchestration.
4. Digital Enablement First:
Embed ServiceNow, ERP, GRC, and BI tooling from the outset to ensure data integrity.
5. Adaptive Learning:
Integrate feedback, audits, and lessons learned into the next planning cycle.

10.3 Implementation Roadmap (Phased Plan 2025–2028)
Phase Period Objective Key Deliverables Ownership
Phase 1 –
Foundation
2025 Q1–
Q3
Establish governance
baseline & transparency
- RACI & policy
frameworks
- ServiceNow SPM
configuration
Central PMO /
CIO Office

Phase Period Objective Key Deliverables Ownership
- Initial KPI dashboard
- PMO Guild relaunch
Phase 2 –
Integration
2025 Q4–
2026 Q3
Integrate Finance, IT, and
Risk data flows
- ERP & GRC integration
- Demand & Portfolio
intake harmonization
- Standard project
financial templates
PMO / Finance /
IT Controllers
Phase 3 –
Intelligence
2026 Q4–
2027 Q4
Deploy AI-driven
analytics and predictive
dashboards
- Predictive risk engine
- AI-driven resource
forecasting
- NIS2 compliance
automation
PMO / CISO /
Data Science
Phase 4 –
Resilience
2028–
2029
Build full quantum-safe,
self-learning governance
- PQC encryption
implementation
- Quantum risk
inventory
- Continuous
compliance
(autonomous GRC)
CISO / CIO /
PMO
Phase 5 –
Continuous
Improvement
Ongoing
Institutionalize
governance excellence
- Governance review
cycles
- Maturity model
assessment
- Annual executive
reporting
CIO Office /
Audit / HR

10.4 Change Management Strategy
10.4.1 Purpose
To ensure that every stakeholder understands, adopts, and contributes to the transformation —
reducing resistance, accelerating value, and embedding governance culture.


10.4.2 Framework: ADKAR + Prosci Model
Phase Change Focus Objective Tools / Actions
A – Awareness Why change?
Explain “why governance
matters”
Leadership briefings, roadshow
presentations
D – Desire
What’s in it for
me?
Link benefits to roles Use case demos, quick wins
K – Knowledge How to do it
Train PMs, domain leads,
controllers
E-learning, workshops
A – Ability
Can we perform
it?
Apply in daily routines Mentoring, PMO Guild support
R –
Reinforcement
Sustain it Recognize adoption
KPI-linked incentives, spotlight
sessions

10.5 Stakeholder Engagement Matrix
Stakeholder
Group
Role Key Interests Engagement Channel Frequency
CIO / Executive
Board
Sponsor ROI, resilience, compliance Steering Committee Quarterly
PMO Central
Team
Owner
Governance consistency,
dashboards
PMO meetings Weekly
Domain PMOs Implementer
Demand shaping, delivery
tracking
PMO Guild Bi-weekly
Finance &
Controllers
Partner
Cost transparency, value
realization
Financial Review
Board
Monthly
CISO / Risk Office
Compliance
Owner
NIS2, AI & Quantum Risk
Cyber Governance
Board
Monthly
Project Managers Operator Tools, process clarity PM Community Monthly
HR / Training Enabler Capability building
Change Champions
Network
Quarterly


10.6 Capability Development & Training
10.6.1 Competency Framework
Role Core Competency Training Focus
Project Managers Governance literacy SPM usage, KPI reporting
Domain PMOs Portfolio integration Scenario planning, prioritization
Central PMO Governance orchestration AI analytics, dashboard management
CISO & Risk Teams Cyber compliance PQC, AI risk, NIS2
Finance Controllers Value tracking ROI modeling, Earned Value Mgmt
Business Sponsors Accountability Benefits ownership, risk appetite
Executive Committee Strategic steering Governance interpretation

10.6.2 Training Waves
1. Wave 1 – Foundations: Governance, SPM, RACI (Q2 2025)
2. Wave 2 – Financial Integration: Budget, ROI, TCO (Q4 2025)
3. Wave 3 – Risk & Compliance: NIS2, AI, Quantum (Q2 2026)
4. Wave 4 – Predictive Governance: AI analytics, dashboards (Q1 2027)
5. Wave 5 – Quantum Resilience: PQC & autonomous compliance (2028+)


10.7 Tooling Deployment Roadmap
Tool Function Integration Deployment Phase
ServiceNow SPM Demand, Portfolio, Project mgmt ERP, GRC Phase 1
Power BI / Fabric Executive dashboards SPM, ERP Phase 2
ERP System Financial tracking BI, PMO Phase 2
GRC Platform Compliance & NIS2 controls SPM, SIEM Phase 3
AI Risk Engine Predictive analytics BI Phase 3

Tool Function Integration Deployment Phase
Quantum Security Module PQC encryption & risk register SOC Phase 4


10.8 Communication Plan
Message Theme Audience Channel Frequency Owner
Vision & Roadmap All Staff CEO/CIO Townhall Quarterly CIO
Quick Wins & Success IT / Business Intranet, newsletter Monthly PMO
Tools & Training Project Managers Workshops Bi-weekly PMO Guild
Compliance Updates Executives / Risk Governance Report Quarterly CISO
Milestone Celebration All Staff Townhall, video Milestone-based PMO + HR
Communication should create a narrative of progress — celebrating milestones, recognizing
contributors, and reinforcing trust.


10.9 KPIs for Transformation Progress
Dimension KPI Target Measurement
Adoption % users trained and active in SPM ≥95% Training records
Data Quality % projects with complete data ≥90% PMO audits
Governance Compliance % processes aligned to policy 100% Internal audit
Financial Performance Forecast accuracy <5% variance ERP
Value Delivery Portfolio value realized (€) ≥80% Post-project review
Cyber & NIS2 Compliance maturity score ≥95% GRC dashboard
Quantum Readiness PQC coverage ratio ≥85% Risk register
Culture & Engagement Employee satisfaction >80% Survey


10.10 Risk & Mitigation Matrix
Risk Impact Likelihood Mitigation
Stakeholder fatigue Medium Medium Frequent communication, quick wins
Tool complexity High Medium Stepwise deployment, training
Data inconsistency High High Governance ownership, validation rules
Budget overruns Medium Low Phased funding, value-based prioritization
Regulatory drift (AI/Quantum laws) High Medium Continuous policy monitoring
Talent shortage Medium High PMO Guild, training, partnerships


10.11 Governance of the Transformation Program
10.11.1 Transformation Office (TMO)
Established under the CIO Office to coordinate:
• PMO integration
• Tooling deployment
• Training & change management

• Value tracking


10.11.2 Reporting Cadence
Committee Frequency Purpose
Transformation SteerCo Monthly Oversight, budget, decisions
Executive Board Quarterly Strategic updates
Audit Committee Bi-annual Compliance and assurance
PMO Guild Continuous Operational alignment

10.12 Expected Outcomes
• Full visibility of IT, finance, and cybersecurity in one governance ecosystem
• Predictive decision-making through AI integration
• Measurable business value per invested euro
• Compliance-by-design under NIS2, ISO, and PQC frameworks
• Self-learning governance model by 2030

10.13 Continuous Improvement Loop
1. Measure : KPIs captured automatically across systems
2. Analyze : AI-driven insight and variance detection
3. Improve : Corrective action plans triggered by PMO
4. Validate : Internal audit verifies control effectiveness
5. Communicate: Lessons learned shared across PMO Guild

This ensures living governance — adaptive, measurable, and sustainable.

This is the PMO Operating & Governance Manual which is the final, conclusive section.
This section completes the transformation cycle: from strategy and execution to assurance,
compliance, and continuous improvement — ensuring enduring control, trust, and regulatory
resilience.

24. Audit, Compliance & Continuous Assurance Framework

11.1 Objective
To embed trust, transparency, and accountability into every governance layer — ensuring that IT,
Finance, Risk, and Business portfolios are verifiably compliant with regulatory, security, and strategic
mandates.
The purpose of this framework is to operationalize assurance — turning compliance from a reactive
burden into a predictive control system, powered by automation, AI, and continuous validation.
“In world-class organizations, compliance is not a checkpoint. It is a living, intelligent ecosystem.”

11.2 Foundational Principles
1. Continuous Assurance, Not Periodic Auditing:
Move from point-in-time audits to continuous control validation via integrated monitoring.
2. Policy-as-Code:
Translate governance policies into executable system rules (in GRC, SPM, ERP).
3. Evidence-by-Design:
Every process automatically generates its own audit trail — no retrospective evidence chasing.
4. Cross-Domain Integrity:
Align IT, Cyber, Finance, and HR compliance within a unified data model.
5. Regulatory Adaptability:
Maintain a dynamic framework that updates with evolving laws (e.g., NIS2, DORA, AI Act,
GDPR, Quantum Readiness).

11.3 Governance Architecture for Assurance
Layer Purpose Tools / Systems Ownership
Policy Layer
Define rules, standards,
accountability
Confluence, Policy DB
PMO / Compliance
Office
Process Layer Enforce controls in workflows ServiceNow SPM / GRC PMO / Domain PMOs
Data Layer
Capture evidence and
transactions
ERP, CMDB, Audit DB
IT / Finance
Controllers
Monitoring
Layer
Measure compliance & risk
indicators
Power BI, SIEM, GRC
Dashboards
CISO / PMO
Assurance
Layer
Validate and report compliance
Internal Audit, External
Auditors
Audit & Risk
Committee
This architecture guarantees traceability from policy → execution → evidence → assurance.

11.4 Audit & Compliance Operating Model
11.4.1 Roles and Responsibilities
Function Key Responsibilities
CIO Office Strategic governance ownership; ensure policies align with IT strategy
PMO Maintain portfolio and project governance compliance; track deliverables
CISO / Risk Office Manage cybersecurity, NIS2, PQC, and AI risk controls
Finance & Controllers Validate cost, ROI, and budgetary compliance
Internal Audit Conduct independent assurance reviews, validate evidence integrity
Compliance Office Manage regulatory mappings, update legal registers
Executive Committee Review audit outcomes, approve improvement actions


11.5 Continuous Assurance Lifecycle
Step Description Tooling Output
1. Define Controls
Translate policies into measurable
control points
GRC, Confluence Control Register
2. Automate
Collection
Capture evidence automatically (SPM,
ERP, SIEM)
GRC integrations
Evidence
Repository
3. Monitor
Continuously
Detect control drift and anomalies in
real time
Power BI, AI
Analytics
Alerts, Risk
Indicators
4. Audit Proactively
Trigger micro-audits for flagged
exceptions
Internal Audit Audit Reports
5. Report
Transparently
Aggregate compliance posture at board
level
BI Dashboards
Assurance
Reports
6. Improve Iteratively
Feed audit insights into process
redesign
PMO / TMO Corrective Actions
This creates a closed feedback loop between governance, performance, and compliance.

11.6 Control Framework Alignment
Regulatory Framework Focus Area Integration Mechanism
Responsible
Office
NIS2 Directive
Cyber resilience, incident
reporting
Mapped into GRC
controls, linked to SIEM
data
CISO
DORA (Digital Operational
Resilience Act)
ICT risk, business
continuity
Linked to BCM systems,
PMO risk register
CISO / PMO
EU AI Act
Transparency,
explainability, bias
prevention
AI model governance
registry
Data Science /
Compliance
GDPR
Data protection and
privacy
Data classification policies
in CMDB
DPO
ISO 27001 / 31000 / 38500
Information & risk
governance
Framework foundation CISO / PMO

Regulatory Framework Focus Area Integration Mechanism
Responsible
Office
Quantum Readiness (Post-
Quantum Cryptography)
Encryption transition
roadmap
PQC policy register,
crypto inventory
CISO / CTO

All frameworks are mapped into one unified control taxonomy, maintained in the central GRC
repository — ensuring a single source of truth.

11.7 Evidence Management & Control Validation
11.7.1 Evidence Generation
• Automatic logging : Every workflow step in SPM, ERP, and GRC generates timestamped
audit entries.
• Metadata tagging : Each document or approval is labeled with control ID, owner, and
version.
• Immutable storage : Evidence archived in read-only, blockchain-backed audit vault.

11.7.2 Control Validation
• Periodic Reviews: Quarterly validation of control design & effectiveness.
• Continuous Control Monitoring (CCM): AI algorithms flag deviations automatically.
• Third-Party Validation: Annual external assurance (ISO, NIS2, or SOC2).

11.7.3 Traceability Chain
Policy → Process → Activity → Evidence → Control → Audit Finding → Action Plan
Each link is digitally traceable via the GRC dashboard.

11.8 Performance & Compliance Dashboard
Power BI / GRC Unified Dashboard integrates:
• Compliance Score (%) per domain (Target: ≥ 95%)
• Audit Closure Rate (%) within SLA (Target: ≥ 90%)
• Policy Coverage (%) of all operations (Target: 100%)
• Control Effectiveness Index (CEI) = % controls functioning as intended
• AI Model Risk Index (AMRI) for algorithmic governance
• Quantum Readiness Index (QRI) tracking cryptographic migration
• Incident Response Maturity Level (aligned to NIS2 KPIs)

All dashboards roll up into a Board-Level Governance Cockpit, reviewed quarterly by the Executive
Assurance Committee.

11.9 Audit Cycle Integration with PMO
Audit Type Frequency Focus Area Outcome
Strategic Audit Annual
Governance maturity, portfolio
value
Roadmap
recommendations
Operational Audit
Semi-
annual
Project delivery, KPI compliance Process optimization
Financial Audit Quarterly Cost accuracy, ROI realization
Finance governance
updates
Cyber Compliance
Audit
Quarterly NIS2, DORA, PQC controls Remediation plan

Audit Type Frequency Focus Area Outcome
AI Ethics Audit Annual
Model transparency, bias
detection
AI Governance report
The PMO integrates audit findings into next-cycle portfolio planning, ensuring that every audit
outcome generates governance evolution, not static compliance.

11.10 AI & Quantum Assurance Integration
AI Assurance
• Every AI component (in analytics, risk prediction, or automation) undergoes:
o Algorithm validation (accuracy, bias, drift)
o Explainability audit
o Data lineage mapping
o Ethical review board oversight
Quantum Assurance
• Post-Quantum Transition Log: Documents cryptographic migration progress.
• Quantum Risk Heatmap: Identifies systems exposed to legacy encryption.
• Quantum Impact Simulations: Evaluate resilience against theoretical quantum breaches.
These are embedded into the GRC tool as dynamic assurance layers.



11.11 Reporting & Escalation Framework
Level Report Type Frequency Escalation Path
Operational Control & risk status Weekly PMO / Risk Office
Tactical Domain compliance summary Monthly Portfolio Board
Strategic Assurance & audit performance Quarterly Executive Board
Regulatory NIS2 / DORA / AI Act reporting As required National / EU regulators

Each report includes:
• Dashboard snapshot
• Key deviations & corrective actions
• Maturity trend analysis
• Lessons learned

11.12 Continuous Improvement Loop (Audit-to-Action)
1. Detect : Deviations or control drift identified automatically.
2. Diagnose : Root-cause analysis by PMO & Risk Office.
3. Decide : Prioritize remediation based on business criticality.
4. Deliver : Implement improvement actions, track via ServiceNow.
5. Document : Log evidence and update maturity KPIs.

Result: Permanent governance learning cycle — auditable, measurable, and continuously optimized.


11.13 Success Metrics
Metric Definition Target
Audit Closure Rate % of audit findings resolved within SLA ≥90%

Metric Definition Target
Control Effectiveness Index % of controls performing as designed ≥95%
Compliance Coverage % of operations under active control 100%
Assurance Automation Ratio % of automated controls vs manual ≥80%
NIS2 Maturity Index Compliance readiness per directive Level 4/5
AI Ethics Conformity % of models approved post audit ≥90%
Quantum Readiness Index Cryptographic migration status ≥85%

11.14 Final Deliverables
1. Integrated Compliance Framework (GRC + PMO)
o Unified control taxonomy
o Automated evidence chain
2. Executive Assurance Dashboard
o Real-time compliance visibility
o Integrated risk & performance heatmaps
3. Annual Governance & Assurance Report
o Presented to Executive Committee and Board Audit Committee
4. Regulatory Alignment Certificates
o NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, AI Act, PQC readiness

11.15 Conclusion — From Governance to Trust
This framework ensures that governance maturity becomes measurable, assurance becomes
continuous, and trust becomes systemic.
By embedding compliance into daily operations, supported by AI, quantum-safe encryption, and digital
audit trails, the organization achieves true operational resilience and strategic credibility.
Governance excellence is not about control — it’s about enabling confident growth, through integrity,
evidence, and foresight.

PMO Operating & Governance Manual is complete.
It defines the transformation from
strategy → portfolio → governance → assurance → continuous trust.

25. Optional Appendices (for CISO or Program Manager Use)

These appendices provide actionable tools and reference materials to support Chief Information
Security Officers (CISOs), Program Managers, and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) leaders in
implementing integrated AI–Cybersecurity–Quantum strategies. Each appendix is designed to enhance
operational readiness, regulatory alignment, and strategic foresight across critical infrastructure and
enterprise environments.

Appendix A — NIS2 × AI × Quantum Compliance Matrix
This matrix maps the core obligations of the NIS2 Directive to emerging AI governance and quantum
resilience requirements, enabling integrated compliance across digital transformation programs.
NIS2 Requirement AI Governance Alignment
Quantum Resilience
Alignment
Implementation Notes
Governance &
Accountability
Assign AI risk owners,
establish ethics boards
Designate quantum
readiness leads, board-
level oversight
Embed into enterprise
risk governance structure
Risk Management
Policies
AI lifecycle risk
assessments (bias, drift,
misuse)
Quantum threat
modeling, crypto asset
inventory
Align with ISO/IEC 42001
and ISO/IEC 27005

NIS2 Requirement AI Governance Alignment
Quantum Resilience
Alignment
Implementation Notes
Incident Reporting
(24h)
AI model failure and
adversarial attack
reporting
Quantum cryptographic
breach scenarios
Integrate into SOC
workflows and regulatory
portals
Supply Chain
Security
AI model provenance,
third-party validation
PQC compliance from
vendors, SBOM for
quantum-safe
components
Extend procurement
policies and vendor
contracts
Business Continuity
& Recovery
AI model rollback, failover
strategies
Quantum-safe backup
and key recovery
protocols
Include in BCP/DR plans
and tabletop exercises
Technical &
Organizational
Measures
Explainable AI, secure
model hosting, federated
learning
PQC implementation,
quantum-safe VPN/TLS,
crypto-agility
Map to ISO/IEC 27001
Annex A controls

Appendix B — Quantum Risk Register Template

A structured template to identify, assess, and prioritize quantum-related risks across enterprise assets
and infrastructure.

Template Structure:
Asset
Cryptographic
Dependency
Quantum
Risk Level
Impact Likelihood
Mitigation
Strategy
Owner
Review
Cycle
VPN
Gateway
RSA-2048 High
Data
interception
Medium
Migrate to
PQC (Kyber)
Network
Security
Lead
Quarterly
PKI
Server
ECC Critical
Certificate
forgery
High
Hybrid crypto
deployment
IAM
Manager
Monthly
EHR
Archive
AES-128 Medium
Retrospective
decryption
Low
Upgrade to
AES-256, PQC
wrapper
Data
Protection
Officer
Bi-annual
IoT
Firmware
ECC High
Device
hijacking
Medium
PQC-based
secure boot
OT
Security
Lead
Quarterly

Supporting Fields:
• Time-to-Compromise Estimate
• Data Longevity Classification
• Quantum Threat Scenario Reference
• Control Mapping (ISO/NIST)

Appendix C — AI Incident Response Playbook
A modular playbook for responding to AI-related security incidents, aligned with NIS2, ISO/IEC 42001,
and NIST AI RMF.
Incident Categories:
• Model Drift or Degradation
• Adversarial Input Exploitation

• Model Poisoning
• Bias or Ethical Violation
• Unauthorized Model Access or Theft
Response Workflow:
1. Detection & Triage
o AI observability tools flag anomaly
o SOC validates incident type and severity
2. Containment
o Isolate affected model/API
o Revoke access tokens and credentials
3. Eradication
o Remove poisoned data or adversarial inputs
o Patch model vulnerabilities
4. Recovery
o Rollback to validated model version
o Re-deploy with enhanced controls
5. Post-Incident Review
o Root cause analysis
o Update AI risk register and governance policies
o Report to regulators (if applicable)
Roles & Responsibilities:
• AI Risk Officer
• SOC Analyst
• Data Protection Officer
• Legal & Compliance Lead

Appendix D — Post-Quantum Migration Checklist
A step-by-step guide to transitioning enterprise cryptographic infrastructure to quantum-safe
algorithms.
Migration Phases:
Phase 1: Discovery
• [ ] Inventory all cryptographic assets (keys, certificates, protocols)
• [ ] Identify long-term sensitive data (e.g., health, legal, financial)
• [ ] Map dependencies across systems and vendors
Phase 2: Planning
• [ ] Conduct quantum threat modeling
• [ ] Define crypto-agility strategy
• [ ] Select NIST-approved PQC algorithms
Phase 3: Pilot
• [ ] Deploy hybrid cryptography in TLS, VPN, PKI
• [ ] Validate performance and interoperability
• [ ] Monitor for operational impact
Phase 4: Full Migration
• [ ] Replace RSA/ECC with PQC across all systems
• [ ] Update key management and certificate lifecycle
• [ ] Conduct compliance audits and penetration tests
Phase 5: Governance
• [ ] Maintain quantum risk register
• [ ] Train staff on quantum resilience
• [ ] Align with ISO/IEC 27001, NIS2, and Cyber Resilience Act

Appendix E — Continuous Assurance Dashboard (KPIs, KRIs, KCIs)
A dashboard framework to monitor cybersecurity, AI governance, and quantum readiness in real time.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Metric Description Target
Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) Time to identify threats < 1 hour
AI Model Accuracy Validated performance > 95%
PQC Coverage % of systems using PQC > 80%
Incident Response Time Time to contain and recover < 4 hours

Key Risk Indicators (KRIs)
Metric Description Threshold
Quantum Vulnerable Assets Assets using RSA/ECC < 10%
AI Drift Events Unplanned model deviations < 2/month
Third-Party Non-Compliance Vendors lacking PQC < 5%

Key Control Indicators (KCIs)
Metric Description Status
AI Governance Policy ISO/IEC 42001 alignment Active
Quantum Risk Register Updated quarterly Compliant
NIS2 Reporting Workflow 24h breach notification Operational

Visualization Options:
• Heatmaps for risk exposure
• Trend lines for incident frequency
• Compliance scorecards by domain

Conclusion These appendices provide CISOs and Program Managers with the tactical tools needed to
operationalize strategic frameworks. From compliance matrices and risk registers to playbooks and
dashboards, each artifact supports measurable, auditable, and future-proof implementation across AI,
cybersecurity, and quantum domains.


26. Additional explanation
For example, Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms are the two flagship quantum algorithms shaping the
cybersecurity and cryptographic discourse.
However, in a ‘non-‘complete Quantum Governance and Post-Quantum Cybersecurity context, it is
best practice to expand to a comprehensive, structured overview of the most influential quantum
algorithms and principles, each briefly explained in clear executive language.
Below is the enriched list of quantum principles and algorithms, with concise descriptions suitable for
connecting science, strategy, and policy impact.

Quantum Algorithms and Foundational Principles — Executive Overview

Algorithm /
Principle
Inventor /
Institution
Purpose /
Application
Executive Summary
Qubit (Quantum
Bit)

Quantum
Information Unit
The fundamental unit of quantum
information. Unlike a classical bit (0 or 1),
a qubit can exist in a superposition of
both states simultaneously, enabling
massive parallel computation.
Superposition —
Core Quantum
Principle
A quantum system can exist in multiple
states at once until measured. Enables
quantum computers to evaluate many
possibilities simultaneously.
Entanglement
Einstein,
Podolsky, Rosen
Correlated Qubit
States
Two or more qubits become linked such
that the state of one instantly influences
the state of the other, even at a distance.
This underpins quantum communication
and teleportation.
Decoherence —
Quantum Noise &
Stability
The process by which quantum
information is lost due to interaction with
the environment. Managing decoherence
is key to stable quantum computation.
Shor’s Algorithm
Peter Shor
(1994)
Cryptanalysis
(factoring)
Breaks classical public-key cryptography
(RSA, ECC) by efficiently factoring large
numbers using quantum parallelism. The
foundation of the post-quantum
cryptography movement.
Grover’s Algorithm
Lov Grover
(1996)
Database Search
Optimization
Provides a quadratic speed-up in
unstructured search problems (e.g.,
brute-force attacks). Affects symmetric
encryption strength (e.g., AES-256 → AES-
128 equivalence under Grover).
Quantum Fourier
Transform (QFT)

Periodicity
Detection
A quantum analog of the classical Fourier
Transform used in many algorithms
(including Shor’s) to detect periodicity and
structure within datasets.
Quantum Phase
Estimation (QPE)

Eigenvalue
Computation
Estimates the phase (or eigenvalue) of a
unitary operator, forming the backbone of
many quantum algorithms, including
Shor’s and VQE.
Quantum Annealing
D-Wave
Systems
Optimization
Problems
A technique leveraging quantum
tunneling to find global minima in
complex optimization landscapes. Often
used for logistics, finance, and scheduling.
Quantum
Approximate
Optimization
Algorithm (QAOA)
Farhi et al., MIT
Combinatorial
Optimization
A hybrid algorithm combining quantum
and classical approaches to solve NP-hard
optimization problems efficiently.
Promising for logistics, finance, and risk
modeling.

Algorithm /
Principle
Inventor /
Institution
Purpose /
Application
Executive Summary
Variational
Quantum
Eigensolver (VQE)
Peruzzo et al.,
Harvard /
Google
Quantum
Chemistry /
Material Science
Uses quantum circuits to find the lowest
energy state (ground state) of a molecule,
enabling breakthroughs in drug discovery
and energy systems.
Harrow-Hassidim-
Lloyd Algorithm
(HHL)
Aram Harrow,
Avinatan
Hassidim, Seth
Lloyd
Solving Linear
Systems
Solves large systems of linear equations
exponentially faster than classical
algorithms. Foundational for data science
and machine learning.
Amplitude
Amplification
Brassard et al.
Probability
Enhancement
Generalizes Grover’s algorithm to amplify
the probability of desired outcomes in
quantum computations.
Quantum Machine
Learning (QML)
Various
research
(Google, IBM,
MIT)
AI Acceleration
Integrates quantum computing with
machine learning to achieve exponential
improvements in data classification,
clustering, and pattern recognition.
Quantum
Teleportation
Bennett et al.
(1993)
Quantum
Communication
Transfers a quantum state from one
location to another using entanglement,
without moving physical particles. Core
for quantum internet and secure
communications.
Quantum Key
Distribution (QKD)
Bennett &
Brassard (BB84,
1984)
Secure
Communication
Enables unbreakable encryption using
quantum states to detect any
eavesdropping attempts. Foundational to
post-quantum cryptography and NIS2
compliance strategies.
Quantum Random
Number Generation
(QRNG)

Cryptographic
Randomness
Generates true randomness based on
quantum indeterminacy. Used in
cryptography to produce non-predictable
keys and enhance entropy pools.
Quantum Error
Correction (QEC)
Shor, Steane,
Surface Code
Models
Stability & Fault
Tolerance
Encodes logical qubits into multiple
physical qubits to protect against
decoherence and operational errors.
Essential for scalable, fault-tolerant
quantum computers.
Surface Code /
Topological Qubits
Kitaev,
Microsoft
Robust Quantum
Architecture
Uses topological properties of matter to
create more stable qubits that are
resistant to decoherence and noise. Key in
next-generation fault-tolerant
architectures.
Quantum
Supremacy
Google (2019)
Proof of Quantum
Advantage
The demonstration that a quantum
computer can solve a problem infeasible
for any classical computer. Marks the
turning point for quantum adoption
strategy.
Post-Quantum
Cryptography (PQC)
NIST / Global
community
Cryptographic
Resilience
Cryptographic algorithms designed to
remain secure against both classical and

Algorithm /
Principle
Inventor /
Institution
Purpose /
Application
Executive Summary
quantum attacks. Includes lattice-, hash-,
code-, and multivariate-based
approaches.
Hybrid Quantum-
Classical Systems

Transitional
Computing
Combines classical and quantum
processors to optimize real-world
computations before full quantum
maturity. Enables gradual enterprise
adoption.

Executive Summary — Why These Matter for NIS2, AI Governance, and Cyber Resilience
• Shor’s Algorithm → Immediate threat to RSA, ECC → triggers migration to PQC.
• Grover’s Algorithm → Impacts symmetric encryption key length → mandates AES-256
minimum for NIS2 compliance.
• QAOA, VQE, HHL → Enable quantum-accelerated risk modeling, optimization, and AI, creating
both strategic advantage and audit complexity.
• QKD, QRNG, QEC → Introduce quantum resilience layers in secure communication and
cryptographic governance.
• Quantum Teleportation & Entanglement → Reshape the future of trusted networks, beyond
IP-based encryption paradigms.
• Hybrid Quantum-Classical Computing → Transitional state between current infrastructure and
full quantum-ready enterprise architectures.










The following part goes right to the core of operationalizing NIS2 compliance under the disruptive
forces of Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Below is a Testing Strategy for Quantum & AI Impact — structured in executive— designed for
integration in your Cybersecurity & Resilience governance, NIS2 compliance, and digital risk assurance
frameworks.

27. Quantum & AI Impact Testing Strategy (for NIS2 Compliance)
Version: 1.0 | Owner: CISO / CTO | Linked Frameworks: NIS2, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001,
ENISA Cyber Resilience, NIST AI RMF, NIST PQC

Purpose: Ensure that the organization can demonstrably test, measure, and validate the real-world
impact of emerging AI and Quantum technologies on cybersecurity, governance, and NIS2 obligations.

1. Strategic Objectives
1. Anticipate how AI and quantum innovations modify the threat landscape, operational risk
profile, and compliance posture.

2. Validate the robustness of controls (technical, procedural, and organizational) under post-
quantum and AI-augmented scenarios.
3. Demonstrate compliance evidence for NIS2 Articles 21–23 (risk management, incident
handling, cryptography, and business continuity).
4. Embed resilience-by-design in transformation projects and IT operations.

2. Testing Scope
Domain Description NIS2 Control Mapping
Cryptographic
Readiness
Evaluate vulnerability of current encryption and
key management against quantum algorithms
(Shor, Grover, QAOA).
Art. 21(2)(d) – Security
and cryptography
AI-driven Cyber
Threats
Simulate AI-based attacks (phishing automation,
polymorphic malware, data poisoning).
Art. 21(2)(f) – Incident
prevention
AI in Defense Systems
Test AI models embedded in SOC/SIEM for
robustness, bias, and adversarial resistance.
Art. 23 – Incident
detection and reporting
Quantum-enabled
Communications
Validate QKD or PQC protocols for interoperability
and performance impact.
Art. 21(2)(h) – Business
continuity and resilience
Governance &
Accountability
Assess compliance with ISO/IEC 42001 (AI
management), ensuring explainability and
accountability in decisions.
Art. 20 – Risk
management and
governance

3. Test Architecture
Integrated, Multi-Layer Approach:
1. Policy Validation Layer:
o Gap analysis between current ISMS and quantum/AI governance standards.
o Review of RACI, escalation paths, and compliance procedures.
2. Simulation Layer:
o Controlled sandbox for quantum algorithm stress tests (crypto break simulations).
o AI adversarial testing (using red teaming and ethical hacking with LLM simulators).
o SOC automation stress test: simulate AI-driven incident triage and error handling.
3. Operational Layer:
o Field tests in live but controlled environments (e.g., VPN PQC migration pilot).
o Business continuity tests (restore and failover under PQC-enabled encryption).
4. Audit Layer:
o Post-test forensic review and compliance scoring.
o Integration into Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) dashboards and Power BI KPI
suite.


4. Test Methodology
Phase Objective Deliverables
1. Preparation
Define testing scope, success criteria, and risk
tolerance
Test Plan, Governance
Approval
2. Baseline
Measurement
Establish current-state benchmarks (crypto
strength, AI model maturity)
Baseline Report
3. Simulation &
Execution
Run quantum/AI simulations under realistic
scenarios
Test Logs, Incident Data

Phase Objective Deliverables
4. Evaluation
Measure resilience, latency, accuracy, and
compliance alignment
Test Summary Report
5. Corrective Action Define and implement control adjustments
Updated Procedures,
Technical Controls
6. Validation &
Reporting
Provide evidence for audit and board
Quantum & AI Resilience
Certificate


5. Quantum & AI Test Scenarios (Examples)
Scenario Objective Expected Outcome
Shor’s Algorithm Stress Test
Test RSA/ECC key vulnerability
exposure
Identify at-risk encryption
channels
AI-Generated Phishing
Simulation
Assess human and AI-based
detection systems
Measure detection rate and
response time
Adversarial ML Attack on SOC
AI
Evaluate robustness of ML-based
anomaly detectors
Quantify false-positive/false-
negative ratios
PQC Implementation Pilot (TLS
1.3 Hybrid)
Validate performance, latency, and
interoperability
Confirm business continuity
under PQC load
Stored-Now-Decrypt-Later
(SNDL) Scenario
Assess long-term data
confidentiality risk
Update encryption policies and
retention plans


6. Performance Metrics (KPIs / KRIs)
Metric Description Frequency
Quantum-Resilience Index (QRI)
% of cryptographic assets migrated or quantum-
hardened
Quarterly
AI Model Robustness Score % of ML models passing adversarial testing
Semi-
annually
Mean Time to Detect AI Attack
(MTTD-AI)
Average detection time for AI-origin attacks Monthly
Compliance Evidence Coverage % of NIS2 control areas with test evidence Quarterly
Incident Containment Time (ICT)
Time from detection to isolation in AI-assisted
SOC
Monthly

7. Governance and Review
• Testing overseen by: Quantum & AI Risk Committee (CISO, CTO, PMO, Legal, Risk
Management).
• Audit assurance: Annual third-party review (ISO/IEC 42001 + NIST PQC benchmarks).
• Board Reporting: Summarized results in Cyber Resilience & Innovation Report (annually).
• Continuous Improvement: Lessons learned integrated into risk treatment and control design.

8. Evidence Management
All test outcomes are documented in:
• ServiceNow GRC / Risk Register (evidence linkage to control IDs).

• Quantum Readiness Dashboard (Power BI).
• AI Governance Logbook (model performance, explainability, and bias testing results).
• Audit Repository (annual assurance evidence for NIS2 compliance).

9. Strategic Outcomes
• Demonstrates quantum and AI resilience under NIS2 Articles 20–23.
• Builds traceable, audit-ready evidence for board and regulators.
• Embeds predictive and proactive cybersecurity posture.
• Positions the organization as quantum-secure and AI-accountable within the EU digital trust
framework.

Following is a Testing Framework (one-page diagram showing layers, cycles, and KPI loops.
It can serve as the “Quantum & AI Testing Strategy Overview Slide” for Board or Audit Committee
usage.


28. Quantum & AI Testing Framework for NIS2 Compliance
1. Purpose & Scope
This framework defines how the organization systematically tests, validates, and evolves cybersecurity
controls, policies, and resilience mechanisms in the context of AI integration and quantum-era threats,
ensuring ongoing alignment with NIS2 obligations.
It provides a continuous testing and assurance cycle linking governance, risk, technology, and
compliance.

2. Framework Layers
Layer Testing Objective Focus Areas
Responsible
Function
Governance &
Strategy
Validate that NIS2, AI, and Quantum
strategies are aligned with
enterprise risk appetite and
regulatory expectations.
Policy review,
accountability matrix,
quantum-readiness scoring.
CISO Office /
Compliance / Risk
Committee
Risk &
Compliance
Evaluate the adequacy of AI and
quantum-influenced risk controls
under ISO 27001, ISO 42001, and
NIS2.
Control testing, risk
simulations, threat
modeling.
Internal Audit /
PMO / Risk
Operational
Security
Test real-time resilience against AI-
driven and post-quantum threats.
SOC readiness, incident
response drills, AI-SOC
validation.
SOC / IT
Operations
Data &
Encryption
Validate quantum-resistant
encryption and AI data-protection
models.
PQC (post-quantum
cryptography) pilot tests,
key-management
validation.
CTO / Data
Security Team
AI Systems
Ensure trustworthy, explainable, and
secure AI behavior.
Model integrity tests,
adversarial robustness,
data lineage verification.
AI Governance /
R&D

Layer Testing Objective Focus Areas
Responsible
Function
Quantum
Readiness
Assess exposure and migration plan
to post-quantum standards (NIST
PQC, ETSI).
Algorithm inventory, key
migration testing,
simulation impact.
CISO / CTO /
Architecture Board


3. Testing Cycles
Cycle Phase Frequency Core Activities Deliverables
Baseline Testing Annual
Establish control baseline, benchmark
encryption and AI controls.
“Quantum & AI Baseline
Report”
Operational
Drills
Quarterly
Table-top and live simulations (AI breach,
quantum decryption event).
Incident Response Lessons
Learned
Compliance
Audit
Semi-
annual
Audit control evidence against NIS2
Articles 21 & 23; ISO mappings.
Compliance Statement &
Non-Conformity Log
Continuous
Monitoring
Monthly
Automated KPI and KRI dashboards via
SOC/ServiceNow.
Cyber KPI Dashboard
Strategic Review Annual
Executive evaluation of quantum roadmap
and AI governance evolution.
Board-level “Quantum & AI
Maturity Report”


4. KPI & KRI Loops
Category Key Metrics Purpose
Cyber
Effectiveness
% of controls tested successfully, Mean Time to Detect
(MTTD), Mean Time to Respond (MTTR)
Measure resilience
improvement
AI Governance
% AI models with explainability certification, number of
adversarial tests passed
Ensure ethical and secure
AI
Quantum
Readiness
% cryptographic assets quantum-hardened, % PQC pilot
completion
Track transition to PQ-
safe posture
Risk &
Compliance
Audit pass rate, NIS2 alignment index, # non-
conformities resolved
Demonstrate regulatory
assurance
Operational
Maturity
SOC automation rate, % incidents predicted by AI
Measure proactive
defense capability

5. Governance & Reporting Loop
• Quarterly → Report “Quantum & AI Testing Summary” to the Cyber Risk Committee.
• Semi-Annually → Consolidated NIS2 Assurance Report submitted to Executive Board.
• Annually → Board endorsement of updated Quantum & AI Security Roadmap (aligned
with EU NIS2 & ETSI standards).
• Ongoing → KPIs integrated into enterprise dashboard via Power BI / ServiceNow.

6. Maturity Scale (Benchmark Reference)
Level Description Example Milestone
1 – Reactive
Testing ad-hoc, no AI/quantum
awareness
Controls unverified post-project
2 – Structured Defined testing cycles per NIS2 Annual cyber-resilience audit
3 – Integrated AI-SOC integration, PQC test lab SOC anomaly detection AI-driven
4 – Predictive Predictive risk modeling with AI AI predicts control failure likelihood
5 –
Autonomous
Continuous, AI-driven assurance loop
Real-time PQC validation and adaptive
response

Executive Insight:
By embedding this Quantum & AI Testing Framework into the PMO and CISO governance cycles, the
organization demonstrates proactive compliance, regulatory alignment, and strategic resilience under
NIS2 — moving from compliance-driven testing to intelligence-driven security assurance.

29. Executive Addenda — Strengthening the “Board Layer”
Topic Purpose Deliverable
Cybersecurity & AI
Maturity Model (C²AIM)
Assess digital resilience maturity in 5 tiers
(Reactive → Optimized).
Diagnostic grid + radar chart
+ roadmap template.
Board Playbook on
Digital Risk
5–10 strategic questions board members
must ask about AI, quantum, and NIS2
compliance.
One-page “Board Card”.
Crisis Governance Matrix
Define who does what during AI or quantum-
related cyber incidents.
RACI + playbook flow
diagram.
Digital Trust Index (DTI)
Synthetic index combining AI ethics,
resilience, transparency, and post-quantum
readiness.
KPI dashboard +
benchmarking model.

29.1. Deep-Dive Technical Annexes
Area Purpose Added Value
AI Threat Landscape
(ATLAS-based)
Map AI-specific attack vectors (model
poisoning, data exfiltration, prompt
injection).
Technical risk table + detection
matrix.
Quantum Readiness
Assessment Tool
Maturity model across cryptography,
infrastructure, policies, and workforce.
4-stage readiness matrix
(Unaware → Quantum-
Secure).
Zero-Trust Architecture
(ZTA) Blueprint
Design a NIS2-aligned, AI-enhanced ZTA
with PQC integration.
Architecture diagram + policy
text.
Resilience Testing
Protocols
Define cyber-resilience stress tests for AI
and post-quantum infrastructure.
Scenario catalogue + KPI
feedback loop.
AI & Quantum Data
Classification Model
Harmonize data protection rules for hybrid
AI-quantum computing.
Taxonomy + classification
policy draft.

29.2. Compliance & Audit Instruments
Tool Description Output
Unified Control
Catalogue (UCC)
Merge ISO 27001, NIST, AI Act, and NIS2 into a single
harmonized control set.
Excel matrix + Power
BI dashboard.
Audit Evidence
Playbook
How to collect, classify, and store evidence for AI
and NIS2 audits (screenshots, logs, traceability).
Audit guide +
checklists.
AI Ethics Impact
Assessment (AIEIA)
Required by EU AI Act — assess social, fairness, and
transparency risks.
Template and scoring
framework.
Quantum Transition
Policy
Defines procedures for deprecating legacy
cryptography (RSA, ECC).
Step-by-step policy +
timeline chart.

29.3. Organizational Enablement
Topic Purpose Deliverable
Training Curriculum for
Executives & Engineers
Differentiate awareness levels — strategic
(board), tactical (management), operational
(engineers).
3-tier learning path +
competency model.
Digital Skills & Role
Framework
Define future profiles: AI Auditor, Quantum Risk
Officer, Digital Ethics Lead.
Role catalogue + RACI.
Change Management
Strategy (AI & Quantum)
Communication and adoption framework for
new governance standards.
Change plan +
stakeholder heatmap.
Knowledge Management
Platform
AI-powered repository integrating standards,
lessons learned, and metrics.
System blueprint +
governance charter.

29.4. Forward-Looking Research Chapters
Theme Content Strategic Angle
AI for Cyber Defense 2035
Predictive intelligence,
autonomous SOCs, and human-AI
teaming.
Show technological trajectory and
investment needs.
Quantum Internet & Secure
Communications
Quantum repeaters, entanglement
networks, QKD infrastructure.
Position the organization within
Europe’s Quantum Flagship
roadmap.
Sustainability & Green IT
Link quantum and AI efficiency to
ESG (energy, carbon, ethics).
Extend governance into
environmental accountability.
Digital Sovereignty &
European Strategy
How to ensure autonomy in AI and
quantum infrastructures.
Policy reflection for EU institutions
and national security boards.

29.5. Visual Supplements (Annex Pack)
• Governance Pyramid (Strategic–Tactical–Operational Layers)
• NIS2 × AI × Quantum Matrix
• Quantum Readiness Roadmap (2025–2035)
• AI Risk Heatmap & Control Loop Diagram
• Unified KPI Dashboard (Risk, Performance, Value, Compliance)
• “Cyber to Quantum Continuum” Visual – showing how NIS2 evolves into PQC governance

29.6. Proposed Final Section Title
“From Compliance to Digital Trust: The 2035 Horizon”
This closing chapter could synthesize how NIS2, AI governance, and quantum security converge into
one discipline — Digital Trust Management — the foundation of all future board governance.

Abbreviations.

this glossary of abbreviations could support you in understanding more the details in this guidance.
Below is an overview of abbreviations and acronyms, harmonized with this framework (AI,
Cybersecurity, Quantum, NIS2, and PMO Governance).

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms
Abbreviation Meaning / Description
AIMS Artificial Intelligence Management System
AI Artificial Intelligence
AIOps Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations
AML Anti-Money Laundering
API Application Programming Interface
APT Advanced Persistent Threat
ATLAS Adversarial Threat Landscape for AI Systems
BEC Business Email Compromise
BI Business Intelligence
BIA Business Impact Analysis
BPM Business Process Management
BRM Business Relationship Management
BSI British Standards Institution
CAPEX Capital Expenditure
CBRNE Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives
CEO Chief Executive Officer
CFO Chief Financial Officer
CIO Chief Information Officer
CISO Chief Information Security Officer
CMDB Configuration Management Database
CMM Cybersecurity Maturity Model
CNIL
Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (French Data Protection
Authority)
CNN Convolutional Neural Network
COBIT Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology
CRA Cyber Resilience Act (EU Regulation)
CSIRT Computer Security Incident Response Team
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
CTI Cyber Threat Intelligence
DLP Data Loss Prevention
DL Deep Learning
DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act

Abbreviation Meaning / Description
DPIA Data Protection Impact Assessment
ECC Elliptic Curve Cryptography
EDR Endpoint Detection and Response
EEA European Economic Area
ENISA European Union Agency for Cybersecurity
ERP Enterprise Resource Planning
EU AI Act European Union Artificial Intelligence Act
FIM File Integrity Monitoring
GRC Governance, Risk, and Compliance
HIL Human-in-the-Loop (AI Governance concept)
IAM Identity and Access Management
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IoC Indicator of Compromise
IoCs Indicators of Compromise
IoT Internet of Things
ISMS Information Security Management System
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ITIL Information Technology Infrastructure Library
ITSM IT Service Management
ITOM IT Operations Management
KCI Key Control Indicator
KPI Key Performance Indicator
KPM Key Performance Metric
KRI Key Risk Indicator
KYC Know Your Customer
LLM Large Language Model
LSTM Long Short-Term Memory (type of recurrent neural network)
MFA Multi-Factor Authentication
MITRE
ATT&CK
Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge Framework
ML Machine Learning
MMF Minimum Marketable Feature
MLOps Machine Learning Operations
MPT Modern Portfolio Theory (used in portfolio optimization)
MTD Mean Time to Detect
MTTR Mean Time to Respond / Repair
MTTF Mean Time to Failure
NIS2 Network and Information Security Directive (EU Directive 2022/2555)
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

Abbreviation Meaning / Description
NLP Natural Language Processing
NPV Net Present Value
OCM Organizational Change Management
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OKR Objectives and Key Results
OSINT Open-Source Intelligence
OT Operational Technology
OWASP Open Worldwide Application Security Project
PDCA Plan–Do–Check–Act (continuous improvement cycle)
PIA Privacy Impact Assessment
PKI Public Key Infrastructure
PM Project Manager
PMO Project Management Office
PMP Project Management Professional
PQC Post-Quantum Cryptography
PRINCE2 Projects in Controlled Environments (v2 methodology)
PSIRT Product Security Incident Response Team
QAOA Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm
QKD Quantum Key Distribution
QLC Quantum Logic Circuit
QML Quantum Machine Learning
QRM Quantum Risk Management
QRNG Quantum Random Number Generator
QSM Quantum Security Maturity (Index / Model)
RACI Responsible – Accountable – Consulted – Informed
RAID Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies
RCSA Risk Control Self-Assessment
RMF Risk Management Framework
ROI Return on Investment
ROCE Return on Capital Employed
RSA Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (encryption algorithm)
SBOM Software Bill of Materials
SCM Supply Chain Management
SDLC Software Development Life Cycle
SIEM Security Information and Event Management
SLA Service Level Agreement
SLR Service Level Requirement
SLO Service Level Objective
SME Subject Matter Expert

Abbreviation Meaning / Description
SOAR Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response
SOC Security Operations Center
SPM Strategic Portfolio Management (ServiceNow module)
SRM Supplier Relationship Management
SSE Security Service Edge
SSO Single Sign-On
TCO Total Cost of Ownership
TEE Trusted Execution Environment
TLS Transport Layer Security
TOGAF The Open Group Architecture Framework
TTPs Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
UAT User Acceptance Testing
UEBA User and Entity Behavior Analytics
VPN Virtual Private Network
VQE Variational Quantum Eigensolver
WAF Web Application Firewall
XAI Explainable Artificial Intelligence
ZTA Zero Trust Architecture
ZTNA Zero Trust Network Access

Annexes
The annexes provide essential supporting materials to operationalize the integrated AI–Cybersecurity–
Quantum framework. These include a glossary of key terms, mappings to international standards, real-
world case studies from EU critical operators, and reference models and templates to guide
implementation, compliance, and strategic alignment.

Glossary of Key Terms
Term Definition
AI Governance
The policies, procedures, and controls that ensure responsible
development, deployment, and oversight of AI systems.
Post-Quantum
Cryptography (PQC)
Cryptographic algorithms designed to be secure against quantum
computing attacks, replacing RSA and ECC.
Zero Trust Architecture
(ZTA)
A security model that assumes no implicit trust and enforces continuous
verification of identity, context, and risk.
Quantum Supremacy
The point at which a quantum computer can solve problems beyond the
capabilities of classical computers.
Federated Learning (FL)
A decentralized machine learning approach where models are trained
locally and aggregated centrally, preserving data privacy.
Digital Twin
A virtual replica of a physical system used for simulation, monitoring, and
predictive analytics.
Cyber Diplomacy
The practice of managing international relations in cyberspace, including
norm-building, cooperation, and conflict resolution.
Crypto-Agility
The ability to rapidly switch between cryptographic algorithms in response
to emerging threats or standards.
AI Drift
The degradation of AI model performance over time due to changes in
data distribution or operational context.
Quantum Risk Register
A structured inventory of assets vulnerable to quantum threats, used for
prioritization and mitigation planning.

Mapping to ISO, IEC, and EU Frameworks

To ensure interoperability, auditability, and regulatory alignment, the integrated framework maps
directly to key international and European standards.

ISO/IEC Standards
Standard Domain Mapping
ISO/IEC
27001
Information Security
Management
Aligns with cybersecurity controls, risk treatment, and
incident response.
ISO/IEC
27005
Information Security Risk
Management
Supports AI and quantum risk assessments and scoring
models.
ISO/IEC
42001
AI Management Systems
Governs AI lifecycle, ethics, transparency, and
accountability.
ISO/IEC
23894
AI Risk Management
Complements ISO/IEC 42001 with detailed risk evaluation
methodologies.

Standard Domain Mapping
ISO 31000 Enterprise Risk Management
Provides overarching risk governance applicable to AI,
quantum, and cyber domains.

EU Regulatory Frameworks
Regulation Sector Mapping
NIS2 Directive
Critical
Infrastructure
Requires governance, risk management, incident
reporting, and supply chain security.
EU AI Act AI Systems
Mandates risk classification, conformity assessment,
and human oversight.
DORA (Digital Operational
Resilience Act)
Financial Services
Enforces ICT risk management, testing, and third-
party oversight.
Cyber Resilience Act Digital Products
Requires secure-by-design principles and
vulnerability management.
GDPR Data Protection
Governs personal data handling in AI and federated
learning environments.
These mappings ensure that organizations can implement the framework while maintaining
compliance across jurisdictions and sectors.

Case Studies: EU Critical Operators & NIS2 Implementers

Case Study 1: Energy Grid Operator (Germany)
Context: A national transmission system operator faced increasing threats to SCADA systems and AI-
based load balancing platforms.
Actions:
• Conducted quantum risk assessment and migrated VPNs to hybrid PQC.
• Deployed AI-enhanced IDS tailored to industrial protocols.
• Integrated ISO/IEC 42001 into AI model governance for grid optimization.
Outcome:
• Achieved NIS2 compliance with board-level accountability and 24-hour incident reporting.
• Reduced mean time to detect (MTTD) by 40% using autonomous SOC capabilities.

Case Study 2: University Hospital (Belgium)
Context: A regional hospital digitized its patient care and diagnostics using AI and IoMT devices.
Actions:
• Implemented federated learning across hospital departments to preserve patient data
privacy.
• Upgraded TLS stacks to PQC for EHR systems.
• Conducted AI bias audits and explainability reviews for diagnostic models.
Outcome:
• Met NIS2 and GDPR obligations with integrated reporting and governance.
• Improved diagnostic accuracy and reduced AI drift through continuous model monitoring.

Case Study 3: Logistics Platform (Netherlands)
Context: A transport operator managing multimodal logistics faced ransomware threats and AI model
manipulation.
Actions:
• Deployed AI-driven ZTA across cloud and edge environments.
• Used digital twins to simulate attack scenarios and optimize response.

• Aligned with ISO/IEC 27001 and Cyber Resilience Act for secure APIs and smart contracts.
Outcome:
• Achieved full NIS2 readiness with supply chain risk controls and vendor compliance.
• Enhanced operational continuity and reduced downtime during cyber incidents.

Reference Models and Templates
To support implementation, the following reference artifacts are included:
1. Policy Template: AI–Cyber–Quantum Governance
• Scope and applicability
• Roles and responsibilities
• Lifecycle controls (design, deployment, monitoring, retirement)
• Ethical principles and compliance alignment
• Incident response and audit protocols
2. Risk Matrix Template
Asset AI Risk Quantum Risk Cyber Risk
Composite
Score
Mitigation Priority
VPN Gateway Low High Medium High Immediate
AI Classifier High Medium Medium High Immediate
PKI Server Medium High High Critical Urgent

Includes scoring methodology, impact thresholds, and control mapping.
3. Maturity Grid Template
Domain Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
AI Governance Ad hoc Defined Operational Integrated Transformational
Quantum Readiness Unaware Aware Planning Piloting Operational
Cybersecurity Reactive Managed Proactive Adaptive Autonomous
Supports benchmarking and strategic planning across enterprise functions.


Conclusion The annexes provide the operational backbone for implementing the integrated AI–
Cybersecurity–Quantum framework. From terminology and standards mapping to real-world case
studies and actionable templates, these resources enable organizations to move from strategy to
execution with clarity, confidence, and compliance.

FINAL CONCLUSION — DIGITAL TRUST 2035: STRATEGY, RESILIENCE & PURPOSE
1. Executive Narrative
By 2035, digital trust will be the ultimate metric of competitiveness — the foundation upon which
reputation, efficiency, and innovation rest.
NIS2, AI governance, and quantum readiness are no longer isolated compliance topics but
interconnected disciplines within an integrated Digital Trust Operating Model.
This book has mapped the transformation from control-driven cybersecurity to intelligence-driven
resilience, from reactive compliance to proactive governance.
The future of secure digital operations is not only technological — it is strategic, cultural, and ethical.
“In the quantum era, trust becomes the true currency of value.”

2. Strategic Imperatives for Leaders
Imperative Description 2030+ Objective
1. Institutionalize
Digital Trust
Governance
Integrate AI, cybersecurity, and data ethics
under one board-level charter — ensuring
cohesive decision-making between CISO, CIO,
CFO, and Chief AI Officer.
Establish a Chief Digital Trust
Officer (CDTO) role
accountable for cross-domain
alignment.
2. Move from
Protection to
Anticipation
Shift from static controls to predictive models
using AI and quantum simulations to forecast
attack vectors and systemic weaknesses.
Achieve predictive detection
coverage above 95% and sub-
hour MTTD (Mean Time to
Detect).
3. Quantum-Ready
by Design
Implement hybrid encryption (post-quantum +
classical), quantum key distribution pilots, and
crypto-agility policies across all systems.
Full PQC migration roadmap
validated against ENISA,
ISO/IEC 23837, and ETSI GS
QKD standards.
4. Ethical &
Explainable AI
Institutionalize algorithmic transparency, bias
mitigation, and human-in-the-loop controls for
critical systems.
Compliance with ISO/IEC 42001
(AIMS) and full EU AI Act
conformity assessment.
5. Ecosystem
Resilience
Extend trust management beyond corporate
boundaries — covering suppliers, cloud
providers, and IoT/OT ecosystems through
contractual and technological controls.
100% supplier alignment with
NIS2, ISO 27001:2022, and PQC
transition requirements.

3. Organizational Transformation Levers
1. Governance Modernization
• Move from distributed cybersecurity silos to a Federated Digital Trust Office (FDTO) model.
• Integrate governance committees: AI Ethics Board, Quantum Risk Council, and Cyber
Resilience Steering Group.
• Ensure top-down accountability with quarterly board reviews of Digital Trust KPIs.
2. Data & Technology Enablement
• Deploy ServiceNow SPM + CMDB + Risk modules to create a single governance backbone.
• Integrate AI-driven threat intelligence, predictive risk scoring, and automated compliance
reporting.
• Establish a Quantum Sandbox — a secure lab for cryptographic stress-testing and algorithmic
resilience validation.
3. Talent & Culture
• Upskill workforce through “AI & Quantum for Cyber Leaders” certification paths.
• Foster a trust culture — embedding digital ethics and zero-trust principles into all roles.

• Introduce an annual Digital Resilience Exercise to test governance maturity, response capacity,
and cross-functional agility.

4. Policy & Compliance Evolution
Domain New Requirement Key Policy / Framework Alignment
Cybersecurity
Quantum-ready encryption, AI-driven SOC,
real-time risk scoring
NIS2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ENISA
Cyber Resilience Act
AI Governance
AIMS deployment, AI explainability audits,
bias monitoring
ISO/IEC 42001, EU AI Act, NIST AI
RMF
Quantum
Security
Crypto-agility policies, PQC readiness plans,
algorithm migration tracking
ISO/IEC 23837, ETSI GS QKD, ENISA
Quantum Readiness Guidance
Operational
Resilience
Integrated incident management, supply
chain continuity, digital twin testing
DORA (Digital Operational Resilience
Act), ISO 22301
Data Governance
Encryption lifecycle mapping, metadata
traceability, secure AI data pipelines
GDPR, ISO/IEC 27701, EU Data
Governance Act

5. Key Metrics for Digital Trust
Category Example KPI Target by 2030
Cybersecurity
Maturity
NIS2 compliance score
≥ 95%
adherence
Quantum Readiness % PQC coverage across core assets ≥ 80%
AI Transparency % of AI models with explainability reports 100%
Incident Resilience Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) ≤ 1 hour
Ecosystem Integrity % of third-party suppliers audited ≥ 95%
Digital Trust Index
Composite of compliance, resilience, and perception
metrics
+10% YoY
growth

6. The 2035 Roadmap — A Vision in Three Horizons
Horizon Focus Area Outcome
2025–
2027
Build the Digital Trust Office; integrate AI
governance and NIS2 compliance.
Unified PMO + AI + Security
Governance Model operational.
2028–
2031
Quantum readiness acceleration — hybrid
encryption, simulation-based resilience testing.
Full PQC deployment and predictive
cyber operations.
2032–
2035
Autonomous trust governance — self-learning AI,
adaptive risk models, cross-sector trust frameworks.
Digital Trust becomes a recognized
board-level performance domain.

7. Closing Insight
“Digital trust will no longer be a compliance checkbox; it will be a strategic differentiator.
The winners of the quantum era will not be those who merely adapt — but those who architect trust
into every decision, algorithm, and connection.”
The Quantum–AI–NIS2 Governance Framework is not just a policy model — it is the operating system
for digital civilization, balancing innovation, ethics, and resilience.
The organizations that adopt this integrated governance model will lead with foresight, act with
precision, and inspire confidence across every stakeholder ecosystem.

FAQ / Q&A

Here’s a structured outline of the FAQ, divided into thematic clusters for clarity and impact:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) — Executive Q&A Companion
I. Strategic & Governance Foundations
Q1. Why do we need an integrated AI–Cybersecurity–Quantum governance framework?
Because technology convergence (AI + quantum + cybersecurity) creates systemic risks and
opportunities. Without an integrated model, organizations face fragmentation between compliance,
risk, and innovation functions — leading to duplicated controls, inefficient investments, and delayed
response to new threats.
Q2. What differentiates this framework from traditional IT governance models (e.g., COBIT, ITIL, ISO
27001)?
This framework extends beyond compliance: it adds AI lifecycle governance, quantum-readiness,
predictive risk modeling, and data ethics. It aligns with NIS2, ISO/IEC 42001, and NIST AI RMF, but
operationalizes them into a unified digital-resilience system.
Q3. How does this model fit within corporate governance?
It creates a “Digital Governance Layer” reporting into the Board Risk Committee, bridging strategic
oversight (Board/CIO/CTO) with operational control (CISO/PMO/Finance).

II. AI Governance & Responsible Automation
Q4. How do we ensure ethical and compliant use of AI systems?
Through a structured AI Governance Framework based on ISO/IEC 42001 and EU AI Act principles:
• Defined accountability (AI Owner, Data Steward, Ethics Officer)
• Continuous risk assessments (bias, transparency, explainability)
• Audit trails and model cards for traceability
• Human-in-the-loop validation for critical systems
Q5. What are the key risks if AI is not governed?
• Adversarial manipulation of models (poisoning, data drift)
• Legal exposure under AI Act and GDPR
• Loss of public trust due to opaque or biased decision-making
• Reinforced cyberattack surfaces via AI-enabled exploits

III. Quantum Threats and Post-Quantum Readiness
Q6. Why should we prepare for quantum computing now, if large-scale quantum machines are not yet
operational?
Because cryptographic migration (from RSA/ECC to post-quantum algorithms) takes 5–10 years across
complex ecosystems. Data encrypted today can be harvested and decrypted later (“harvest-now,
decrypt-later” attacks). Early planning ensures operational continuity and compliance with NIS2’s
resilience mandates.
Q7. What does “post-quantum cybersecurity” mean in practice?
• Implementing quantum-safe algorithms (CRYSTALS-Kyber, Dilithium)
• Establishing hybrid cryptographic architectures (classical + PQC)
• Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for critical links
• Updating supply-chain encryption policies and PKI infrastructure

IV. Risk & Performance Management
Q8. How does AI enhance cybersecurity monitoring and performance management?
AI introduces autonomous threat detection, predictive anomaly scoring, and dynamic resource
reallocation. Performance shifts from reactive KPIs to predictive KRIs, enabling early identification of
risks and value leakages.

Q9. How are risks measured in the quantum era?
Risk is no longer binary (secure/insecure) but probabilistic. Quantum resilience metrics (QRM) assess
system vulnerability to algorithmic breakthroughs, focusing on cryptographic agility, time-to-
compromise, and remediation readiness.

V. Compliance & Policy Integration
Q10. How is NIS2 impacted by quantum and AI technologies?
• AI: introduces new “systemic risk actors” (autonomous systems) that must be monitored.
• Quantum: demands new encryption controls under NIS2 Annex II (security of network and
information systems).
• Action: update NIS2 compliance registers with AI/Quantum indicators, include AI models in
asset inventories, and extend incident response to model integrity breaches.
Q11. What documentation and evidence are required for audits?
• AI model registers (metadata, validation, audit logs)
• Quantum readiness assessment reports
• Security controls mapping (ISO/NIST/NIS2 alignment)
• Incident response protocols including AI system anomalies
• Evidence of periodic risk simulation and scenario testing

VI. Financial, Organizational, and Cultural Dimensions
Q12. What is the financial impact of integrating AI and quantum governance?
Initial setup costs are offset by reductions in:
• Duplicated cybersecurity investments
• Incident recovery time
• Non-compliance penalties
• Inefficiencies due to misaligned portfolios
ROI is realized through improved capital allocation and enhanced business continuity.
Q13. How do we train employees for this new paradigm?
Through tiered enablement:
• Executive layer: risk awareness, governance roles, quantum/AI strategy
• Operational layer: hands-on AI & post-quantum security training
• Cultural layer: ethics, transparency, and continuous learning


VII. Future Outlook
Q14. How will AI and quantum evolve the PMO and IT governance by 2030?
By 2030, PMOs will be data-driven governance hubs — predicting delivery risk, budget overruns, and
cybersecurity threats in real time through AI models. Quantum computing will revolutionize
optimization (portfolio balancing, routing, scheduling), forcing PMOs to embed quantum-informed
scenario planning.
Q15. What is the ultimate vision for digital governance beyond 2030?
A self-adaptive governance ecosystem where AI continuously evaluates risks, performance, and
compliance posture — and automatically recommends corrective actions. Human oversight remains
essential, but decision-making becomes augmented by explainable, ethical AI engines.

Addendum: quantum technology affects NIS2, cybersecurity, policy,
controls and evidence

It explains how quantum technology affects NIS2, cybersecurity, policy, controls and evidence — and
gives a practical, prioritized program of actions (roles, timeline, KPIs, evidence checklist) that you can
drop straight into your governance pack or present to SteerCo.
I. Executive summary — why this matters
II. Impact on NIS2 obligations & regulatory posture
III. Technical cybersecurity impacts (cryptography, identity, data, networks)
IV. Policy & governance changes required
V. Controls to add / revise (technical, operational, managerial)
VI. Evidence & audit model (what auditors will want)
VII. Implementation program (phases, quick wins, timeline)
VIII. Roles, RACI & supplier implications
IX. KPIs, KRIs and monitoring
X. Appendix — checklists & templates

Addendum — Quantum Technology: Impact on NIS2, Cybersecurity, Policies, Controls & Evidence
I. Executive summary
Quantum computing is not merely a future research topic — it changes the definition of “appropriate
and proportionate” technical measures under NIS2. The principal near-term consequence is
cryptographic risk (Shor / Grover) that threatens confidentiality and signature integrity; second-order
effects include new supplier dependencies (quantum hardware and PQC libraries), the emergence of
quantum-enabled attack vectors, and the need for AI/quantum combined governance. Organizations
must adopt crypto-agility, update policies, embed quantum risk into NIS2 compliance, and create an
auditable evidence model now — following a phased PQC and resilience program.

II. Direct impact on NIS2 obligations
Map to NIS2 Articles most affected and practical implications:
• Article 21 (security of network & information systems)
o Must include quantum risk in risk analyses and security policies.
o Update technical measures to ensure encryption and confidentiality are resistant to
known quantum threats.
• Article 23 (supervision & reporting)
o Incident classification should include quantum-cryptography compromise or harvest-
now-decrypt-later scenarios.
o Reporting templates and thresholds should be adapted to include quantum-relevant
indicators.
• Supply chain obligations (Article 21(2)(e))
o Third-party assessments must include PQC readiness and quantum hardware supply-
chain integrity.
• Governance & Accountability (Articles 4–6)
o Board-level discussion and documented strategy for quantum readiness required;
roles and responsibilities (CISO, Quantum Program Director) must be explicit.
Practical directive: update your NIS2 compliance register and control mapping to explicitly include
quantum items by the next reporting cycle.

III. Technical cybersecurity impacts — what changes (summary)
1. Cryptography
• Asymmetric crypto (RSA, ECC): Vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm → requires planned
replacement with PQC.
• Symmetric crypto (AES, SHA): Grover reduces strength (square-root advantage) → increase
key sizes (AES-256) recommended.
• PKI & Digital Signatures: Certificate infrastructure and signatures must become quantum-safe;
signature algorithms need replacement and re-issuance plans.
2. Data confidentiality & long-lived data
• Harvest-now-decrypt-later: Adversaries could capture current traffic and decrypt once
quantum capability exists. Data classification must include confidentiality lifetime (how long
data must remain secret) and use PQC for long-lived secrets.
3. Authentication & Identity
• Behavioral biometrics & MFA remain useful but PKI-backed identity assertions must adopt
quantum-safe signatures.
4. Network & Communication
• QKD & hybrid encryption become options for high-assurance links (datacenters, inter-DC
links). Practical constraints: cost, distance, trusted nodes.
5. Hardware / Supply chain
• New dependencies: HSM firmware updates, PQC-capable chipsets, QKD equipment. Supply-
chain integrity and firmware provenance are essential.
6. AI & Quantum interplay
• Quantum-accelerated ML models and QML pose both opportunity and risk — model
training/optimization may be faster, but also new adversarial strategies possible.

IV. Policy & governance changes (what to update)
Create or revise the following policies (short list with must-have clauses):
1. Quantum Readiness & PQC Policy
o Crypto inventory, migration strategy, hybrid crypto approach, retirement schedule for
legacy algorithms.
2. Data Retention & Confidentiality Lifetime Policy
o Classify data by required confidentiality period and map to encryption strategy (PQC
vs classical).
3. Crypto-Agility & Key Management Policy
o KMS/HSM requirements for algorithm agility, supported PQC algorithms, dual-
signature modes during transition.
4. Supply Chain & Procurement Policy (Quantum Clause)
o Vendor PQC readiness, right-to-audit, SBOM for cryptographic libraries, firmware
attestation.
5. Incident Response Policy (Quantum Annex)
o New incident types, forensics for crypto compromise, harvest-now-decrypt-later
scenarios.
6. Risk Management Policy
o Quantum-specific risk scoring and prioritization rules.
7. Training & Awareness Policy
o Executive briefings, technical bootcamps, legal and procurement workshops.
Governance update: add Quantum Program Director to PMO/TMO reporting lines and include
quantum-readiness KPIs in SteerCo pack.

V. Controls — add, adapt, test
Breakdown by control type with examples and implementation notes.
A. Technical controls
• C-CRYPTO-01: Crypto Inventory & Mapping — Mandatory inventory (algorithm, key length,
purpose, lifetime, owner). Tool: CMDB + Crypto Asset Register. Evidence: signed CSV export,
CMDB link.
• C-CRYPTO-02: PQC Pilot & Hybrid Crypto — Deploy PQC-KEM (e.g., Kyber) in hybrid mode
alongside classical TLS. Evidence: test reports, handshake logs showing hybrid KEM.
• C-CRYPTO-03: Key Management Agility — HSMs and KMS to support multiple algorithms and
fast key rotation. Evidence: KMS config, key rotation logs.
• C-CRYPTO-04: Archive Encryption using PQC — Encrypt backups/archives for long-lived secrets
with PQC or hybrid encryption. Evidence: backup config, encryption metadata.
• C-NET-01: QKD Assessment — For critical links, perform business case and pilot QKD (where
feasible). Evidence: vendor attestation, test logs.
• C-SEC-01: Enhanced TLS Policy — Enforce cipher suite policies (disallow weak ciphers; prefer
forward secrecy; plan for PQC-capable cipher suites). Evidence: endpoint TLS scans,
configuration snapshots.
B. Operational controls
• C-OPS-01: Crypto Migration Program — Formal program with phases, owners, roll-back plans.
Evidence: Gantt, change logs, test matrices.
• C-OPS-02: Incident Playbooks — For PQC and crypto compromise; includes forensics for
key/PKI compromise. Evidence: playbooks, exercise logs.
• C-OPS-03: Vendor Assurance — Quarterly vendor PQC attestations and SBOM reviews.
Evidence: signed vendor questionnaires, audit reports.
• C-OPS-04: Testing & Red-Teaming — Simulate harvest-now-decrypt-later, hybrid crypto
failover tests, PQC performance tests. Evidence: test results, remediation tickets.
C. Managerial controls
• C-GOV-01: Board-level Quantum Risk Reporting — Quarterly updates on PQC progress and
budget. Evidence: SteerCo slides, board minutes.
• C-GOV-02: Legal & Privacy Review — DPIA update for long-lived data and quantum risk.
Evidence: DPIA docs, legal memos.
• C-GOV-03: Budget & Funding Gate — Allocated CAPEX for PQC migration and testbeds.
Evidence: approved budgets.

VI. Evidence & audit model (what auditors will request)
For each control, examples of acceptance evidence and how to store it:
1. Crypto Inventory — Signed CSV/CMDB snapshot with timestamp; owner sign-off. (Store in
GRC)
2. PQC Pilot Reports — Test matrices with pass/fail, interoperability logs, latency/perf graphs.
(Store in evidence vault)
3. KMS/HSM Logs — Key generation/rotation events, access logs, timestamps, signed by HSM.
(Immutable log store)
4. Backup Encryption Metadata — AES/PQC usage per archive, retention policy matching data
lifetime. (Backup system export)
5. Vendor Attestations — Contracts with PQC clauses, vendor SBOM, supplier audit reports.
(Contract repository)
6. Incident Playbook Execution — Tabletop/exercise minutes, corrective action tickets.
(SOAR/SOC ticketing)
7. Board Reports — SteerCo slide decks and signed minutes showing decisions/funding. (Board
repository)

8. PKI Re-issuance Logs — Certificate issuance history, replaced signature algorithms. (PKI CA
logs)
9. Change Requests — CRs authorizing crypto algorithm changes with test results attached.
(Change management system)
10. Audit Trail — Immutable chain (signed artifacts), mapping each evidence item to control ID,
NIS2 article.
Recommendation: store all evidence in a GRC system with metadata fields: control_id, NIS2_mapping,
owner, retention. Use append-only storage (immutable) and checksum/hash for proof.

VII. Implementation program — phases & timeline (prioritized)
High-level phased plan (practical, 18–48 months; adjust to risk):
Phase 0 — Immediate (0–3 months)
• Appoint Quantum Program Director & core team.
• Create crypto inventory template and begin discovery.
• Executive briefing & SteerCo approval for PQC program.
• Quick wins: increase symmetric key lengths where policy allows.
Phase 1 — Discovery & Prioritization (3–9 months)
• Complete full crypto inventory and data lifetime classification.
• Risk score assets by confidentiality lifetime & criticality.
• Run performance baseline for PQC algorithms (lab).
Phase 2 — Pilot & Architecture (9–18 months)
• Run PQC hybrid pilot on internal APIs & one public-facing service.
• Test KMS/HSM PQC support.
• Vendor/supplier risk review and contract amendments.
Phase 3 — Phased Migration (18–36 months)
• Migrate internal PKI & high-priority services to hybrid PQC.
• Implement archive encryption with PQC for long-lived data.
• Conduct tabletop & red-team focusing on crypto/PKI failures.
Phase 4 — Optimization & Compliance (36–48 months)
• Finalize enterprise-wide PQC deployment for critical assets.
• Obtain external audit validation and NIS2 compliance evidence.
• Consider QKD pilots for inter-datacenter critical links if business-justified.
Note: timelines are dependent on vendor readiness and industry standards (NIST standardization
updates). Plan for iterative reassessment.

VIII. Roles, RACI & supplier implications
RACI (high level)
• CISO — Accountable for overall quantum security & NIS2 alignment.
• Quantum Program Director (PMO) — Responsible for execution of migration program.
• IT Controllers / PKI Team — Responsible for technical migration.
• Finance — Consulted for budget approvals.
• Legal / Procurement — Consulted and responsible for contract changes.
• Service Owners / Domain PMOs — Informed and responsible for application-level
implementation.
Supplier actions
• Require vendor PQC readiness statements, SBOMs for crypto libs, and firmware attestation.
• Add contractual SLAs for cryptographic updates and right-to-audit clauses.
• For HSM/KMS vendors: verify PQC algorithm roadmap and secure firmware signing.

IX. KPIs & KRIs — what to monitor
Suggested KPIs/KRIs to include in SteerCo dashboard:
• % Crypto assets inventoried (target 100% by 6 months).
• % Critical systems with PQC pilot completed (target 25% in 12 months).
• % long-lived archives encrypted with PQC/hybrid (target 50% by 24 months).
• Time-to-rotate-key (crypto-agility metric) (target <72 hours for critical keys).
• Number of vendors with PQC attestation (target >80% key vendors in 18 months).
• Mean Time to Detect crypto compromise (MTTD) — maintain SOC metric.
• Audit readiness score for NIS2 quantum annex (internal maturity score, target >90%).

X. Appendix — Practical checklists & templates
A. Crypto Inventory fields (minimum)
• Asset ID | Owner | Purpose | Encryption algorithm | Key length | Key owner | Key location
(HSM/Keyvault) | Key creation date | Key expiry | Data confidentiality lifetime | Migration
priority
B. PQC Pilot test matrix (example columns)
• Service | Use case | Hybrid mode? | Algorithm(s) tested | Latency overhead | Throughput
impact | Functional pass | Security pass | Interop issues | Rollback test pass
C. Vendor PQC questionnaire (summary)
• Do you support NIST PQC candidates? Which?
• Do you have firmware signing & SBOM?
• Can you support hybrid TLS / KEM handshake?
• What is your roadmap for PQC support?
• Are you willing to include right-to-audit & cryptographic attestations?
D. Incident playbook outline (crypto compromise)
1. Detect & isolate impacted systems.
2. Snapshot logs and preserve HSM events (immutable).
3. Rotate affected keys, revoke certificates, re-issue PQC-signed certs.
4. Assess data exposure and notify per NIS2 template.
5. Forensic analysis & legal consultation.
6. Update risk register and remediation plan.

XI. Final recommendations (executive actionable)
1. Start now — begin inventory & data lifetime classification immediately.
2. Adopt crypto-agility as a non-negotiable architectural principle.
3. Prioritize by data lifetime and business criticality — long-lived secrets first.
4. Budget explicitly for PQC pilots, HSM/KMS upgrades, vendor audits.
5. Link quantum readiness to NIS2 reporting — embed in compliance packs and SteerCo.
6. Use hybrid approach (classical + PQC) during transition to preserve continuity.
7. Document everything: auditors will expect signed, timestamped, immutable evidence.
8. Train execs and technical teams — quantum literacy is now part of cyber risk readiness.

one-page “Quantum Annex for NIS2 Compliance” balanced between strategic governance and
technical readiness, suitable for inclusion in your PMO / Cybersecurity Operating Manual and for audit
or Board approval.


Quantum Annex for NIS2 Compliance
Version: 1.0 | Owner: CISO | Approval: Board Cybersecurity & Risk Committee | Review
Cycle: Annual (or upon major quantum advancement)

1. Purpose and Scope
This annex defines the governance principles, controls, and readiness requirements ensuring that the
organization remains compliant with NIS2 obligations in the context of emerging quantum computing
risks.
It applies to all critical infrastructure, digital services, and third-party partners processing or
transmitting cryptographically protected information.

2. Policy Objectives
• Anticipate and mitigate quantum threats to cryptographic confidentiality, integrity, and
authentication mechanisms.
• Ensure that encryption, key management, and digital signature systems evolve toward
quantum-resilient standards.
• Embed quantum-aware risk management into existing NIS2 governance, incident response,
and supply chain controls.
• Maintain evidence-based compliance, ensuring that post-quantum controls are auditable and
measurable.

3. Governance and Responsibilities
Role Responsibility
CISO
Oversees quantum risk strategy and integrates it into the Information
Security Management System (ISMS).
CTO / Architecture
Board
Ensures post-quantum cryptographic design principles are embedded into
architectures.
PMO / Change
Management
Mandates PQC transition plans in all new digital initiatives.
Procurement / Legal
Validates vendor and supply-chain cryptographic maturity; updates
contractual security clauses.
SOC / Cyber Defense
Updates threat detection and incident response playbooks with quantum-
related indicators.

4. Quantum-Resilient Control Framework
Control Domain Minimum Expectation (aligned to NIS2 Articles 21–23)
Evidence / Audit
Artefact
Cryptography
Inventory all cryptographic assets (TLS, VPN, PKI, code
signing). Identify algorithms vulnerable to quantum
attack.
Cryptographic Asset
Register
Transition
Readiness
Develop Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) migration
roadmap (NIST PQC suite).
PQC Transition Plan

Control Domain Minimum Expectation (aligned to NIS2 Articles 21–23)
Evidence / Audit
Artefact
Key
Management
Ensure crypto-agility: ability to re-key, rotate, and replace
algorithms.
Key Lifecycle Policy,
Logs
Risk Assessment
Integrate quantum risk into enterprise risk register; assess
residual risk annually.
Quantum Risk Register
Incident
Response
Extend playbooks with post-quantum breach scenarios
(e.g., stored-now-decrypted-later).
Updated IR Procedures
Vendor / Third-
Party
Include PQC requirements in procurement templates and
SLA clauses.
Vendor Security
Assurance Checklist
Training &
Awareness
Annual CISO-led briefing for executives and IT architects
on quantum developments.
Attendance Logs,
Training Records

5. Compliance Checklist for NIS2 Quantum Readiness
# Requirement Status Target Date
1 Quantum risk assessment integrated into corporate Risk Register ☐

2 Cryptographic inventory completed and reviewed ☐

3 PQC migration roadmap approved by CIO / CISO ☐

4 Key management policy updated for crypto-agility ☐

5 Vendor contracts updated with PQC clauses ☐

6 SOC playbooks include post-quantum scenarios ☐

7 Executive training and awareness completed ☐

8 Annual quantum readiness report submitted to the Board ☐


6. Review and Continuous Improvement
• Conduct annual “Quantum Resilience Audit”, aligning to ENISA, NIST PQC, and ISO/IEC 42001
frameworks.
• Update cryptographic controls proactively, not reactively.
• Align policy with EU guidance and upcoming “Quantum-Secure Europe” regulatory initiatives.

Endorsement
Approved by the Cybersecurity & Risk Committee on [Date]. This annex forms an integral part of the
corporate NIS2 compliance framework and must be reviewed annually or upon quantum cryptographic
standard updates.

reference compendium summarizing all standards, directives, and regulatory frameworks
directly or indirectly cited in “AI–Cybersecurity–Quantum–NIS2 Framework”.
Each entry includes reference code, full name, thematic domain, short executive description, and
relevance to your governance and compliance model.


Global & European Regulatory and Standards Landscape
Reference Full Name Domain Executive Description
Relevance to
Framework
Directive (EU)
2022/2555 –
NIS2
Network and
Information Security
Directive (recast)
Cybersecurity /
EU Regulation
Strengthens
cybersecurity
obligations across
critical sectors,
emphasizing
governance, risk
management, and
incident response.
Core regulatory
backbone of the
entire framework.
EU Cyber
Resilience Act
(CRA)
Proposed Regulation
on Cybersecurity
Requirements for
Products with Digital
Elements
Cybersecurity /
Product Security
Defines mandatory
cybersecurity
requirements for
software and
connected devices
across the EU.
Extends NIS2 scope
to supply chain and
product lifecycle.
EU AI Act
(2024)
Artificial Intelligence
Act
AI Governance /
Regulation
Establishes risk-based
regulatory
requirements for AI
systems, emphasizing
transparency,
accountability, and
human oversight.
Provides the
compliance basis
for “AI
Governance”
sections.
GDPR (EU
2016/679)
General Data
Protection
Regulation
Data Protection /
Privacy
Defines personal data
protection rules and
lawful processing
obligations.
Impacts
cybersecurity
controls, AI data
handling, and
incident reporting.
DORA (EU
2022/2554)
Digital Operational
Resilience Act
Financial Sector /
ICT Risk
Introduces ICT risk and
resilience requirements
for financial entities.
Serves as a sector-
specific
implementation
model for NIS2.
EU
Cybersecurity
Act (2019)
Regulation (EU)
2019/881
Certification &
ENISA Mandate
Establishes the EU
cybersecurity
certification framework
and strengthens ENISA.
Basis for
certification and
audit alignment in
NIS2 compliance.
ISO/IEC
27001:2022
Information Security
Management
System (ISMS)
Cybersecurity /
Management
Systems
Defines requirements
for establishing,
implementing,
maintaining, and
improving information
security.
Directly mapped to
NIS2 Articles 21–23
(security
measures).

Reference Full Name Domain Executive Description
Relevance to
Framework
ISO/IEC
27002:2022
Code of Practice for
Information Security
Controls
Cybersecurity
Controls
Provides best-practice
guidance on security
controls.
Operational layer
for NIS2 and AI
system protection.
ISO/IEC
27005:2022
Information Security
Risk Management
Risk
Management
Framework for
identifying and
managing cybersecurity
risks.
Complements ISO
31000 and NIS2 risk
obligations.
ISO
31000:2018
Risk Management —
Guidelines
Enterprise Risk
Management
Defines universal risk
management
principles.
Overarching model
for IT, AI, and
quantum risk
frameworks.
ISO/IEC
42001:2023
Artificial Intelligence
Management
System (AIMS)
AI Governance
First ISO standard for
managing AI systems
responsibly and
ethically.
Anchors “AI
Governance”
section in
management
systems approach.
ISO/IEC
23894:2023
AI — Risk
Management
Guidelines
AI Risk
Provides guidance for
identifying, analyzing,
and mitigating AI risks.
Operationalizes EU
AI Act compliance.
ISO/IEC
27701:2019
Privacy Information
Management
System
Data Protection
Extends ISO 27001 for
privacy management
alignment with GDPR.
Links cybersecurity
and privacy in data
governance.
ISO/IEC 20000-
1:2018
IT Service
Management (ITSM)
IT Operations
Specifies requirements
for a service
management system.
Used for “Run”
governance
(ServiceNow ITSM).
ISO/IEC
55000:2014
Asset Management
— Overview,
Principles, and
Terminology
IT Asset
Management
Framework for
optimizing value across
the asset lifecycle.
Supports cost
transparency and
lifecycle planning.
ISO 9001:2015
Quality
Management
Systems
Governance /
Quality
Ensures process quality
and continuous
improvement.
Underpins PMO
and audit quality
structure.
ISO/IEC
22301:2019
Business Continuity
Management
Systems
Resilience
Defines continuity and
recovery management
frameworks.
Supports resilience
KPIs and NIS2
business continuity
proof.
ISO/IEC 27035-
1:2023
Information Security
Incident
Management
Incident
Response
Describes detection,
response, and learning
processes for incidents.
Reinforces NIS2
mandatory incident
handling measures.
ISO/IEC 15408
(Common
Criteria)
Evaluation Criteria
for IT Security
Certification /
Product
Assurance
Defines security
evaluation criteria for
IT products and
systems.
Aligns to CRA and
post-quantum
certification goals.

Reference Full Name Domain Executive Description
Relevance to
Framework
ISO/IEC 23837-
1:2023
Post-Quantum
Cryptography —
Requirements
Quantum /
Cryptography
Provides guidance for
migrating to quantum-
resistant algorithms.
Directly referenced
in Quantum
Governance
chapter.
ETSI GS QKD
014 / ETSI TR
103 616
Quantum Key
Distribution (QKD)
Standards
Quantum
Communication
Defines architecture,
key management, and
interoperability for
QKD systems.
Underpins post-
quantum
encryption and
secure key
exchange.
NIST SP 800-53
Rev. 5
Security and Privacy
Controls for
Information Systems
Cybersecurity /
US Standard
Comprehensive
security control
catalog.
Cross-referenced
for NIS2 control
harmonization.
NIST SP 800-
171 / 800-172
Protecting
Controlled
Unclassified
Information
Information
Protection
Defines control sets for
sensitive information in
non-federal systems.
Guidance for
supplier risk and
data protection.
NIST AI RMF
(2023)
Artificial Intelligence
Risk Management
Framework
AI Governance
Defines AI risk
identification,
mitigation, and
documentation
processes.
Used in AI
governance chapter
for risk
harmonization.
NIST PQC
Initiative
(2022–2024)
Post-Quantum
Cryptography
Standardization
Quantum
Security
Introduces quantum-
resistant algorithms
(e.g., CRYSTALS-Kyber,
Dilithium).
Key reference for
post-quantum
cybersecurity
readiness.
ITIL4
Framework
IT Infrastructure
Library
Service
Management
Framework for IT
service design, delivery,
and improvement.
Supports Run vs.
Change structuring.
COBIT 2019
Control Objectives
for Information and
Related Technology
IT Governance
Framework for
enterprise IT
governance and
management.
Embedded within
PMO and audit
structure.
CSA CCM v4
Cloud Controls
Matrix (Cloud
Security Alliance)
Cloud Security
Control framework for
cloud environments.
Addresses NIS2
scope on third-
party and cloud
providers.
ENISA
Guidelines
(various)
ENISA Cybersecurity
and AI Guidelines
EU Cybersecurity
/ Risk
EU-level guidance for
implementing
cybersecurity risk and
AI safety practices.
Referenced across
multiple
governance layers.

Executive Synthesis
• ISO/IEC 27000-series → foundation for information security and incident management.
• ISO 31000 & 42001 → backbone for risk and AI governance integration.
• NIST SP 800-53 & PQC standards → guide post-quantum readiness and resilience planning.
• EU AI Act + NIS2 + CRA → define the regulatory trinity for digital trust in the 2030 horizon.

• ITIL / COBIT / ISO 55000 → operationalize governance into measurable service and value
delivery.