• Digital Trust Forum and Charter of Trust to merge
• Bosch and Deutsche Post DHL Group join Charter of Trust
• Associated Partner Forum further growing with CyberNB, Cyber Peace Institute, Cyber Readiness Institute and Global Cyber Alliance
The Charter of Trust (CoT) and the Digital Trust Forum (DTF) are to join forces and merge under the Charter of Trust banner to form a joint initiative for greater cybersecurity and digital trust. With this the Charter of Trust also intends to devote more attention to the topic of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) in the future.
The CoT was launched at the Munich Security Conference in February 2018 by Siemens and eight partners from the industrial sector. The DTF was formed in Berlin in May 2019 as an initiative of Bosch. With that Bosch will also join the CoT. The world’s leading logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group has decided to join the cybersecurity initiative in addition, bringing the number of Charter of Trust members up to 17 four years after it was first signed.
“Overcoming reservations and building up trust will be crucial success factors in digital business – and this is more effective with the two initiatives working together. In addition, Bosch brings to the Charter of Trust its deep expertise in artificial intelligence,” said Dr. Tanja Rückert, Chief Digital Officer at Robert Bosch GmbH and a new member of the Charter of Trust’s Board of Directors.
“Cybersecurity is the key to building people’s confidence in digitalization,” said Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO Digital Industries. “And we’re significantly stronger if we work together to make our networked world more resilient. By merging the two initiatives, and by bringing on board our new partners, the Charter of Trust will gain even greater diversity and broaden its perspective to cover different industries and countries.”
“As a company, we inherit a long tradition of secure and fast transport of confidential information. But for us as a company, privacy of letters no longer applies exclusively to the postal service. In the digital environment, we also effectively protect our customers’ information along the entire supply chain. By becoming a new member of the Charter of Trust, we want to embrace exchange on supply chain security, because ultimately security incidents may have severe implications on all parties involved,” said David Thornewill, Group CISO of Deutsche Post DHL Group.
Over the last four years, the Charter of Trust has already launched a wealth of measures to enhance cybersecurity – including “Security by Default”, which takes cybersecurity into account right from the design phase and provides products with preconfigured security measures. In addition, the CoT partners have defined established baseline requirements for their suppliers in order to further enhance cybersecurity along supply chains. The main focus in the next phase will be to implement a cross-industry approach to the evaluation of supply chain security. In this context, the growing Charter of Trust community will provide mainly small and medium-sized enterprises with information, training and other resources.
At the Munich Security Conference in February 2018, Siemens and eight partners from industry signed the world’s first joint charter for greater cybersecurity. In addition to Siemens and the Munich Security Conference, the signatories include AES, Airbus, Allianz, Atos, Bosch, Dell Technologies, Deutsche Post DHL Group, IBM, Infineon Technologies AG, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NTT, NXP Semiconductors, SGS, TotalEnergies and TÜV SÜD.
The CoT initiative also collaborates regularly with various global authorities and scientific institutions to drive forward the topic of cybersecurity internationally and achieve harmony across national borders and organizational boundaries. Furthermore, the CoT initiative has created the Associated Partner Forum, which institutions such as Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the Spanish National Cryptologic Center (CCN), TU Graz and the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering GmbH (HPI) have joined. The Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, Cyber Readiness Institute, CyberNB, Cyber Peace Institute, Global Cyber Alliance and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI) and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC) have also recently signed up as associate partners.
The global economy is beginning to realize that increased networking goes hand in hand with an escalating risk of cybercrime: the Allianz Risk Barometer found that companies around the globe consider cyber risk as their number one threat in 2022.
Siemens, AES, Airbus, Allianz, Atos, Bosch, Dell Technologies, Deutsche Post DHL Group, IBM, Infineon, MHI, MSC, NTT, NXP, SGS, TotalEnergies and TÜV SÜD
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Decrypting the Future: Global Timelines for PostQuantum Cryptography and why they matter
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Post-Quantum Cryptography
Decrypting the Future: Global Timelines for PostQuantum Cryptography and why they matter
The transition to post-quantum cryptography is not a future problem — it is a present one. The threat of adversaries harvesting encrypted data today for decryption once quantum computing matures means that organizations with long-lived data and systems are already exposed. Waiting for cryptographically relevant quantum computers to arrive before acting is not a viable risk management strategy.
Exposure is not uniform across sectors. Financial services, government and defense, operational technology, and healthcare face the sharpest quantum risk, driven by decades-long data retention obligations, slow system replacement cycles, and the societal consequences of cryptographic failure. For these sectors, PQC readiness has moved from best practice to strategic imperative.
Globally, the direction of travel is clear. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Australia have each established structured PQC transition frameworks, with mandatory deadlines converging around the late 2020s and 2030. Organizations operating across jurisdictions should expect compounding compliance requirements and align migration plans accordingly.
At the same time, the geopolitical dimension of PQC standardization is becoming increasingly salient. The emergence of a “splinternet” infrastructure, characterized by regionally fragmented digital ecosystems, suggests that cryptographic standards diverge along political and strategic lines. As a result, organizations must not only manage technical migration but also navigate a politically charged landscape in which interoperability, regulatory alignment, and long-term cryptographic agility become critical strategic considerations.
This paper offers a comparative overview of regional PQC transition frameworks and identifies the business and systemic risks associated with quantum-vulnerable cryptography, providing insights for organizations preparing for the transition to post-quantum cryptography. Overall, PQC migration is a strategic transformation, not a technical patch. Cryptographic inventory, governance structures, crypto-agility, and supply chain engagement are as central to success as algorithm selection — and organizations that treat PQC readiness as an architectural and organizational challenge will be best positioned as quantum risks continue to mature.
Exposure is not uniform across sectors. Financial services, government and defense, operational technology, and healthcare face the sharpest quantum risk, driven by decades-long data retention obligations, slow system replacement cycles, and the societal consequences of cryptographic failure. For these sectors, PQC readiness has moved from best practice to strategic imperative.
Globally, the direction of travel is clear. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Australia have each established structured PQC transition frameworks, with mandatory deadlines converging around the late 2020s and 2030. Organizations operating across jurisdictions should expect compounding compliance requirements and align migration plans accordingly.
At the same time, the geopolitical dimension of PQC standardization is becoming increasingly salient. The emergence of a “splinternet” infrastructure, characterized by regionally fragmented digital ecosystems, suggests that cryptographic standards diverge along political and strategic lines. As a result, organizations must not only manage technical migration but also navigate a politically charged landscape in which interoperability, regulatory alignment, and long-term cryptographic agility become critical strategic considerations.
This paper offers a comparative overview of regional PQC transition frameworks and identifies the business and systemic risks associated with quantum-vulnerable cryptography, providing insights for organizations preparing for the transition to post-quantum cryptography. Overall, PQC migration is a strategic transformation, not a technical patch. Cryptographic inventory, governance structures, crypto-agility, and supply chain engagement are as central to success as algorithm selection — and organizations that treat PQC readiness as an architectural and organizational challenge will be best positioned as quantum risks continue to mature.
Read more
April 07, 2026
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Post-Quantum Cryptography
A Quantum Leap for Cybersecurity: The Charter of Trust’s PQC Ambition
The Charter of Trust is taking decisive steps to secure our digital future in the quantum era. As quantum computing advances, the risks to today’s cryptographic systems grow ever more urgent. Our dedicated working group is leading the way in raising awareness, promoting standards-based migration, and fostering collaboration across industries, governments, and academia. Together, we are committed to a proactive, well-coordinated, and risk-driven transition to post-quantum cryptography—ensuring digital trust and resilience for generations to come. Discover our vision and join us as we shape a secure digital world for the quantum age.
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November 03, 2026
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Artificial Intelligence
Read the Charter's contribution to the European Commission's public consultation on the Digital Omnibus Package
The rapid expansion of EU digital regulation has strengthened security, privacy, and trust, but it has also created overlapping obligations, inconsistent timelines, and administrative complexity. The Digital Omnibus Package provides a timely opportunity to streamline these rules, ensure greater coherence, and enable businesses to focus resources on resilience and innovation rather than redundant compliance tasks.
The Charter of Trust welcomes the Commission’s initiative to harmonize digital regulations across the EU, aiming to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining high standards of security and privacy. Representing the unified views of its Partners, this paper addresses all key legislation within the scope of the Digital Omnibus and offers comprehensive recommendations. It emphasizes the need for a unified incident reporting system, risk-based notification requirements, and fair compliance processes to minimize regulatory overlap. The Charter calls for clearer liability clauses, global recognition of certifications, and stronger supply chain security.
In data regulation, the Charter advocates ensuring alignment between the rules on data intermediation services under the DGA and B2B data sharing under the Data Act and extending exemptions to mid-cap companies, all while safeguarding trade secrets. For artificial intelligence, the paper recommends a phased approach to new requirements, integrated conformity assessments, harmonized compliance templates, and clear definitions, supported by sector-specific guidance and transparent AI categorization. The Charter also encourages the European Commission to ensure that ePrivacy reform is future-proof, fosters innovation, and reflects the needs of both businesses and consumers. Finally, it recommends robust security standards and cross-border recognition for the EU Business Wallet, with industry involvement in technical standards and integration with data access systems.
Collectively, these measures are designed to foster innovation, resilience, and trust in the EU’s digital landscape, allowing businesses to thrive in a coherent and future-ready regulatory environment.
The Charter of Trust welcomes the Commission’s initiative to harmonize digital regulations across the EU, aiming to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining high standards of security and privacy. Representing the unified views of its Partners, this paper addresses all key legislation within the scope of the Digital Omnibus and offers comprehensive recommendations. It emphasizes the need for a unified incident reporting system, risk-based notification requirements, and fair compliance processes to minimize regulatory overlap. The Charter calls for clearer liability clauses, global recognition of certifications, and stronger supply chain security.
In data regulation, the Charter advocates ensuring alignment between the rules on data intermediation services under the DGA and B2B data sharing under the Data Act and extending exemptions to mid-cap companies, all while safeguarding trade secrets. For artificial intelligence, the paper recommends a phased approach to new requirements, integrated conformity assessments, harmonized compliance templates, and clear definitions, supported by sector-specific guidance and transparent AI categorization. The Charter also encourages the European Commission to ensure that ePrivacy reform is future-proof, fosters innovation, and reflects the needs of both businesses and consumers. Finally, it recommends robust security standards and cross-border recognition for the EU Business Wallet, with industry involvement in technical standards and integration with data access systems.
Collectively, these measures are designed to foster innovation, resilience, and trust in the EU’s digital landscape, allowing businesses to thrive in a coherent and future-ready regulatory environment.
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October 14, 2025
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