SUMMARYThe White House has set new deadlines for federal agencies and other organizations to move to quantum-resistant encryption, requiring post-quantum key establishment by December 31, 2030, and quantum-safe digital signatures by December 31, 2031. The executive order, Securing the Nation against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks, aims to protect sensitive data from future quantum computer attacks after recent research suggested such machines may be closer and cheaper to build than previously believed. Google, Cloudflare, and other companies have already accelerated their own migration plans to 2029.
The White House is drastically shortening the deadline for government agencies and organizations to adopt new quantum-resistant encryption systems that will withstand attacks that use quantum computers, as the federal government seeks to protect decades’ worth of secrets belonging to militaries, banks, governments, and most individuals on Earth.
The executive order, titled Securing the Nation against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks, requires computing systems for “high-value assets” and “high-impact systems” to transition to post-quantum cryptographic key establishment schemes by December 31, 2030, and to quantum-safe digital signature schemes by December 31, 2031.
Heading off a significant threat
The new deadline, which for many organizations is about five years sooner than the previous one, comes on the heels of recent research showing that the resources and cost for building a cryptographically relevant quantum computer are far less than previous consensus estimates. In response, Google, Cloudflare, and other companies recently tightened their timelines for moving off vulnerable systems to 2029.