IBM has unveiled Guardium Cryptography Manager, an AI-infused solution it claims can help enterprises better protect their data against future threats and technologies, including quantum.

Detailed in a blog post penned by Vishal Kamat, IBM’s VP for data security, Guardium Cryptography Manager effectively manages cryptographic assets across the enterprise IT stack, like encryption keys, digital certificates, and algorithms.

Essentially, the offering provides enterprises with a potential tool to quantum computer-proof their enterprise IT assets.

Kamat explained: “Guardium Cryptography Manager delivers centralized, agentless visibility into the encryption status of leading enterprise databases, facilitating the identification of unencrypted or partially encrypted instances across environments.”

Guardium Cryptography Manager uses AI to automate the detection of potential gaps in data encryption. It can also perform remediation requests, using each database’s native encryption capabilities to protect potentially sensitive enterprise data.

It also provides enterprise IT teams with a risk score, providing improved visibility into an organization’s cryptographic landscape and dependencies. Automated remediation workflows can also be generated to provide a holistic view of risks across a user’s IT environment.

The offering is designed to complement IBM’s Guardium Quantum Safe. Released in 2024, the prior offering assesses cryptographic vulnerabilities. The new Guardium Cryptography Manager goes one step further, providing automated insights into enterprise-wide encryption.

“IBM’s approach to crypto-agility reflects a broader understanding of the evolving cryptographic landscape,” said Heather West, research manager at IDC. “By aligning its data security strategy with emerging quantum risks – and leveraging its expertise in quantum computing – IBM is well-positioned to help organizations prepare for the next era of encryption.

“This forward-looking posture is essential as enterprises begin navigating the long-term transition toward quantum resilience.”