# Federal Agencies Advance Post-Quantum Readiness

Federal security leaders are coordinating agency readiness for post-quantum cryptography (PQC), with transition deadlines requiring high-value assets and systems to use PQC keys by December 31, 2030, digital signatures by the end of 2031, and other systems by 2035. Agencies are expected to inventory cryptographic systems, establish migration plans, and begin pilots. The article identifies no specific solicitation or contract award, but the work points to potential demand for contractors that can support discovery, system reengineering, migration, testing, and workforce training.

- Agencies must prioritize cryptographic inventories and migration planning against the staged deadlines; contractors can align technical offerings with those needs.
- Businesses providing cryptographic discovery, system reengineering, migration support, testing, or training may find opportunities as agencies develop pilots and transition plans.
- Because no procurement or award is identified, this signal indicates an emerging demand area rather than a specific bid opportunity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 29, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury)

### Key Quotes
> We’ve been able to abstract away encryption. We can’t do that anymore, and now we need to have a forward discussion with each other about what these changes mean from a workforce perspective that we’ve not been having. It’s a good flag as we think about how to operationalize the migration process.
> — Jay Gazlay, Acting Associate Director for Vulnerability Management at CISA

### Sources
- [
        Federal security leaders team up as post-quantum deadlines tighten - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/technology-main/2026/10/federal-security-leaders-team-up-as-post-quantum-deadlines-tighten) - Federal News Network