Crypto agility is the ability to update cryptographic algorithms, protocols, libraries, and implementations while minimizing disruption and avoiding unnecessary replacement of the underlying infrastructure. For networks, that means adopting post-quantum cryptography (PQC) while preserving the ability to accommodate future standards and defenses primarily through software.

This capability matters because networking platforms often take years to develop and may remain deployed for a decade or longer. During that lifetime, algorithms and standards will continue to evolve, while new vulnerabilities and implementation risks may emerge. Infrastructure designed around one point-in-time set of cryptographic requirements can become costly or…