# Federal Agencies Advance Quantum-Safe Requirements

A June 2026 executive order established post-quantum cryptography milestones for federal high-value and high-impact systems and called for related procurement-rule changes. Separately, Department of War systems must support post-quantum cryptography by December 31, 2030, and use it by December 31, 2031. For federal agencies and defense contractors, these milestones make cryptographic modernization a planning and supplier-coordination issue well ahead of the required dates.

- DoW systems face two distinct requirements: support PQC by December 31, 2030, and use it by December 31, 2031.
- Contractors should begin cryptographic asset discovery, coordinate with vendors, modernize TLS 1.3, and plan migration, as identified in the signal.
- NIST and international roadmaps include milestones from 2026 through 2035, but many are guidance rather than mandates; procurement teams should distinguish these from applicable federal requirements.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 01, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of War (DoW)
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- National Security Agency (NSA)
- Executive Office of the President (EOP)
- NIS Cooperation Group of the European Commission

### Sources
- [When Will You Be Required To Be Quantum Safe?  - Security Boulevard](https://securityboulevard.com/2026/10/when-will-you-be-required-to-be-quantum-safe) - Security Boulevard