Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Migration
Australia’s card payments system post-quantum computing (PQC) ready
Background
In June 2023, the Australian Government released its Strategic Plan for Australia’s Payments System, which outlined the key priorities and supporting initiatives for Australia's payments system. One of the five key priorities is promoting a safe and resilient payments system that protects end-users and safeguards their ability to transact safely and securely. This includes ensuring the payments industry is well-placed to protect against cyber-attacks and requiring the industry to continually uplift system-wide security standards and practices, including encryption methods for card payments systems. The Plan called for the cards payment industry to begin migration to the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in 2025.
This process requires the design, development, and delivery of an industry-wide program to migrate the Australian card payments system from Triple Data Encryption Standard (TDES) to AES cryptography standards. The scope of this program includes:
- 55 issuers
- 25 acquirers
- domestic and international card schemes
- 970,000 payment terminals
- 25,200 ATMs.
Neither physical cards nor digital wallets are impacted directly by this change.
The role of AusPayNet
AusPayNet is leading an industry-wide program to migrate the Australian card payments system to the AES.
Australia is a leading jurisdiction in the global migration to the AES. The program is planned for completion in 2030/31, subject to any necessary regulatory approvals.
Program updates
February 2025
Phase 2a of the AES migration program has commenced, with a focus on pilot preparation activities ...
November 2024
The technical blueprint, migration strategy and industry testing strategy are progressing well and due to be finalised this month.
August 2024
Progress on Phase 1 (Initiation and Mobilisation) deliverables in 2024 for the program is tracking well, particularly in the Standards and Requirements, Migration Planning, and Industry Testing Working Groups.
May 2024
In April, the fifth Standards and Requirements Working Group meeting was held, where Members endorsed the latest version of the AES Technical Blueprint Handbook, representing the target state that could be used for migrating to AES.
February 2024
Following the AusPayNet Board’s approval to continue with Phase 1 (Initiation & Mobilisation) of this project, additional program-funded resources have been on-boarded to support delivery of this phase in 2024.
Contact
If you have any questions in relation to our work on the AES Migration program, please contact the AES Migration Program Team.
