From Guidance to Reality: A Discussion With the Authors of NIST CSWP 39

The release of NIST CSWP 39, Considerations for Achieving Crypto Agility, marks a major shift in how cryptography should be managed across modern organizations. For the first time, NIST frames crypto agility not as a theoretical concept or future requirement, but as an operational capability directly tied to risk, resilience, and the ability to change cryptography without disrupting the business. In this webinar, the authors and contributors behind CSWP 39 join Vladimir Soukharev, VP of Cryptographic Technology at Keyfactor and a contributor to crypto agility initiatives, for a rare, standards-led discussion on what prompted the publication, what problems it is meant to solve, and how organizations should interpret its guidance today. The conversation goes beyond post-quantum timelines to focus on the realities NIST and standards leaders consistently observe across enterprises: limited visibility into cryptographic assets, fragmented ownership, manual and high-risk transitions, and the absence of repeatable operating models. These gaps already impact compliance, reliability, and security — and will only become more acute as cryptographic change accelerates. By bringing together NIST leadership, standards authors, and applied cryptographic expertise, this session bridges guidance and execution. Attendees will gain direct insight into NIST’s intent, a clearer understanding of where organizations struggle most, and practical perspective on what it takes to turn crypto agility from guidance into an operational capability.