COMET

Quantum computing is rapidly emerging as a significant cybersecurity challenge that threatens the long-term effectiveness of today's cryptographic protections. Organizations that rely on encryption to protect sensitive information must begin preparing for the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to reduce future risk and maintain compliance with evolving government and industry requirements.

COMET (Cryptographic Object Migration Evaluation Tool) is ZRA's post-quantum cryptography consulting service. Through COMET, ZRA works directly with government and commercial organizations to assess cryptographic risk, develop cryptographic inventories, evaluate migration requirements, and create actionable post-quantum cryptography transition strategies.

COMET Consulting Services

• Cryptographic Inventory Development
• Cryptographic Discovery and Asset Mapping
• Post-Quantum Readiness Assessments
• Cryptographic Risk Assessments
• PQC Migration Roadmap Development
• Executive Advisory and Strategic Planning Services
• Cryptographic Modernization Planning
• Ongoing Cryptographic Posture Management

Organizations engage ZRA through COMET to conduct cryptographic inventories, perform risk assessments, develop migration roadmaps, and support implementation planning for post-quantum cryptography initiatives.

COMET provides a structured approach for identifying cryptographic dependencies, evaluating risk, prioritizing remediation efforts, and developing a tailored migration roadmap aligned with organizational mission requirements and threat environments.

Through COMET, ZRA guides organizations through five integrated phases of assessment and decision-making:

1. Business Process Analysis
2. Threat Environment Assessment
3. Integration and Dependency Analysis
4. Risk Evaluation
5. Migration Planning and Decision Support

A foundational component of COMET is the development and maintenance of a comprehensive cryptographic inventory. ZRA works with organizations to identify and catalog cryptographic assets across applications, systems, devices, services, protocols, algorithms, certificates, and key management infrastructure. This inventory provides visibility into cryptographic dependencies and establishes the baseline required for effective PQC migration planning.

Using a prioritized inventory and risk-based assessment methodology, ZRA helps organizations determine where cryptographic modernization efforts should be focused first. COMET evaluates threat exposure, mission criticality, system dependencies, and regulatory requirements to support informed decisions regarding encryption strength, cryptographic implementation, and migration sequencing.

The result is a comprehensive PQC migration roadmap that enables organizations to understand their cryptographic landscape, identify vulnerabilities and dependencies, prioritize investments, and execute a phased transition strategy. By combining technical analysis, risk management, and mission-focused planning, COMET provides organizations with a practical and actionable path toward quantum-resilient security.

ZRA's approach incorporates guidance and emerging standards from leading federal organizations, including the White House, OMB, ONCD, CISA, and NIST. Through COMET, organizations receive the expertise, methodology, and decision-support framework necessary to successfully navigate the transition to post-quantum cryptography while minimizing operational disruption and cybersecurity risk.