A rollback-aware checklist for post-quantum testing

A post-quantum test should answer a specific operational question, not simply demonstrate that a new option can be enabled. The result needs a defined environment, version, peer configuration, success criterion, and fallback. Start with a bounded service or protocol path. Record the library and protocol versions, the algorithms and parameter sets, the participating systems, and the expected outcome. Measure only what the test is designed to measure, such as handshake success, message size, latency, certificate workflow behavior, or compatibility.

Design the rollback before the test

Document how the previous configuration is restored, what state changes are safe to reverse, how logs and telemetry will show a failure, and who owns the decision. A rollback plan is not an admission that the new option is unsafe; it is part of controlled change management.

Report the limits

A successful controlled test does not prove every application is migrated. State which path was tested and which dependencies remain unassessed. This draft checklist is educational material, not a substitute for an organization-specific security review.