Building quantum-safe foundations for federal data resilience

Quantum computing is no longer a distant concept. It is an emerging capability with real implications for national security. The federal government holds some of the most sensitive data in the world, and the question is not if quantum computing will threaten today’s encryption, but when. Data encrypted today could be decrypted tomorrow. This “harvest now, decrypt later” risk has put agencies on the clock.

That urgency is why the conversation around post-quantum cryptography (PQC) has accelerated. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalized its first three PQC standards in August 2024, setting the foundation for how organizations can protect encrypted data against future quantum decryption. But while PQC is essential, it is not a silver bullet. Encryption is the final layer of protection. If it becomes the only thing standing between your data and an adversary, too many other defenses have already failed.

The path to ...