OMB issues instructions for agency migration to quantum-proof encryption
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ByAlexandra Kelley,
Staff Correspondent, Nextgov/FCW
June 25, 2026 01:34 PM ET
Agencies are expected to undertake two actions in service of enhanced security: execute a phased migration of cryptographic systems to prepare for quantum computing risk; and submit a PQC migration plan to OMB.
The Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum to federal agencies on Wednesday outlining the steps they need to take to migrate select government systems to post-quantum cryptography, or PQC, an encryption standard intended to withstand the anticipated code-breaking capacity of a fault-tolerant quantum computer.
The memo expands on requirements outlined in President Donald Trump’s June 22 executive order on government PQC migration. The guidance has been in the works for approximately a year, with a draft version first reported in July 2025 by Nextgov/FCW.
Multiple aspects from the draft memo made it into the...
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