Regulators Have Mandated Post-Quantum Encryption Shifts
Governments and firms have begun adopting new cryptographic standards to thwart future quantum decryption threats.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Quantum Computing
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International agencies have enacted mandates for quantum-resistant encryption as experts warn that cyber criminals are already harvesting data for future decryption. The transition to post-quantum standards aims to secure systems before large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers arrive.
Why it matters
Current public key encryption is vulnerable to future quantum hardware, creating a critical security gap. This shift is necessary to protect sensitive data that could be cracked once commercial-scale quantum systems come online.
IBM has committed over US$10 billion toward quantum R&D with a stated roadmap to deliver a fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029. NIST has finalized new post-quantum cryptographic standards to replace legacy methods.
The players
IBM
A global technology company focused on enterprise computing, AI, and developing superconducting quantum processors.
NIST
A US federal agency that develops technical standards, including the cryptographic protocols now used globally for secure communication.
Thales
A multinational corporation that provides security and aerospace systems, specializing in identity and data protection.
The details
Organizations are implementing crypto-agility, a strategy that involves inventorying, managing, and replacing outdated cryptographic assets. This migration requires aligning Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) — the digital framework for managing certificates and keys — and testing for interoperability across systems. These steps are essential to defend against 'harvest-now-decrypt-later' attacks, where adversaries steal encrypted data today to unlock it using future quantum hardware.
Timeline
June 2026: US President signed executive orders on quantum encryption.
2026: Thales designated this year as a primary period for organizational action.
2027: France will stop certifying products that lack quantum-resistant encryption.
2029: IBM aims to deliver a large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.
2035: Deadline for federal networks to complete the transition to quantum-resistant encryption.
The Tech Race
The transition to post-quantum cryptography marks a departure from traditional security cycles, as global agencies now coordinate to outpace the development of fault-tolerant quantum hardware. This effort follows the precedents established by NIST standards and recent federal executive orders.
Organizations will need to audit their existing software infrastructure to ensure compatibility with new cryptographic standards before national deadlines. IT departments will prioritize legacy system retirement to avoid compliance failures in regulated markets.
The takeaway
The move to quantum-resistant security is an urgent shift to mitigate the risk of retrospective decryption of currently sensitive data. Monitor the 2029 IBM delivery milestone as a benchmark for when hardware-level threats to current encryption protocols reach the commercial market.
What happens next
Watch for the 2027 French certification deadline, which will serve as a key indicator of how quickly commercial vendors are replacing non-compliant security hardware.
Further reading
For more on the latest research and industry standards, visit Quantum Computing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ITWeb.
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