Post-Quantum Readiness Gains New Urgency Across Federal Agencies

Recent federal action, including the new Executive Order on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), marks a turning point for federal cybersecurity. What was once a forward-looking discussion is now an operational priority with clear expectations for action.

While large-scale quantum decryption has not yet been realized, adversaries are already using “harvest now, decrypt later” strategies, collecting encrypted data today with the intent to decrypt it once quantum capabilities mature. In other words, organizations can’t afford to wait for quantum computing to arrive before preparing for its impact.

From planning to action

The new Executive Order establishes a more structured and urgent approach to PQC adoption by requiring agencies to inventory cryptographic systems, prioritize high-value and long-lived data and develop migration plans aligned with emerging standards.

Just as importantly, the scope extends beyond federal agencies themselves. Expectations are likely to reach contractors, suppliers and critical infrastructure partners across the broader ecosystem.

Unlike previous cybersecurity upgrades, PQC is not a single deployment or straightforward software update. Cryptography is embedded throughout the IT environment, spanning applications, networks, storage, endpoints and supply chains.

Many agencies still lack full visibility into where cryptographic algorithms are used, while also managing data that must remain secure for decades. Combined with the need to align migration to technology refresh cycles, this makes PQC a complex, multi-year transformation rather than a one-time initiative.

What federal agencies should do now

Execution is what matters now. Leading organizations are already taking steps to begin this transition:

• • • • Build a phased migration roadmap
        Align PQC adoption with technology refresh cycles and evolving standards to minimize disruption and enable steady progress.
      • Discover and inventory cryptographic assets
        Identify where cryptography is used across applications, networks, storage, endpoints, firmware and external dependencies.
      • Leverage ecosystem partnerships
        Collaborate across infrastructure, applications and partner networks to scale adoption effectively and reduce complexity.
      • Prioritize systems based on risk
        Focus on systems that support sensitive data, mission-critical operations or long-term confidentiality requirements.
      • Modernize for cryptographic agility
        Adopt platforms that allow cryptographic algorithms to be updated without requiring full system replacement, ensuring flexibility as standards evolve.

Executing these priorities requires the right technology foundation. Dell is helping customers prepare for this transition by aligning our technology roadmap with emerging PQC standards and crypto-agility requirements.

Today, we are engineering quantum-resistant capabilities across our portfolio to help customers build resilience into their environments now. This includes advancing protections at the device level, strengthening hardware roots of trust and aligning server platforms with PQC requirements and crypto-agility roadmaps. It also includes enabling integration with partner solutions that help organizations discover, prioritize and mitigate risk across their environment at scale.

Our approach is simple: organizations shouldn’t have to replace existing systems all at once to prepare for PQC. By embedding security across endpoints, infrastructure and data protection, organizations can modernize at their own pace while staying aligned with emerging mandates.

Moving forward with confidence

The quantum era is approaching faster than many expected and the path forward is becoming clearer.

With defined federal direction and growing industry alignment, organizations have both the mandate and the opportunity to act. Organizations that start now will be best positioned to reduce risk, meet evolving requirements and protect critical data for years to come. Read more about PQC here.