White House Issues Executive Orders on Quantum Innovation and Security

On June 22, 2026, the White House issued two Executive Orders:  Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation and Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks. By harnessing properties of quantum physics, advanced quantum computers are capable of solving certain classes of computational problems much faster than classical computers, opening new pathways for innovation and new threats to widely used cryptographic security systems. In light of these opportunities and corresponding threats, the Executive Orders are designed to accelerate the development of quantum information science and technology (QIST) for commercial and research purposes while working to protect against threats posed by quantum computers, both domestically and abroad. The practical significance lies in the obligations they set in motion: the Order on quantum innovation channels new federal funding and partnership opportunities toward the commercial quantum sector, and the Order on secure cryptography will require certain federal contractors and critical infrastructure operators to adopt cryptographic methods that are designed to be resistant to attack from quantum and classical computers by 2030 and 2031 deadlines.

Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation

The Executive Order Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation declares it is the Administration’s policy “to ensure that the United States maintains a strategic technical advantage in QIST and leads the development of a robust and trusted quantum ecosystem across QIST research, manufacturing, commercialization, and application.” The Executive Order directs measures to promote innovation and investment in QIST, while still protecting national security interests.

Quantum Strategy and Development

The Order directs the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST), in coordination with relevant agencies and councils, to update the National Quantum Strategy within 180 days to support the maturing QIST ecosystem, “including promoting commercialization and deployment of QIST, supporting the quantum-enabling technology ecosystem, and encouraging partnership with United States industry.”

The Order also establishes the Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science (QC-ADDS) Effort to “pursue development of a quantum computer at a scale intended to initiate the era of quantum-enabled scientific discovery, with the intent to deliver at least one such computer to a Department of Energy facility and, to the extent possible, make it available to the scientific community.” The heads of relevant agencies are directed to support the QC-ADDS Effort to explore “quantum-computer-enabled capabilities for commercial, government, and national security applications.” The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the heads of other relevant agencies, is also directed to identify the technical specifications required for a QC-ADDS to perform transformative scientific applications within 90 days, and publicly release a summary of those specifications as appropriate.

Private Sector Engagement

The Order also directs agencies to work with private industry to advance the QC-ADDS Effort. The Secretary of Energy, Director of OMB, and Secretary of Commerce are directed to explore private-sector partnership models for understanding the potential cost and time frame for delivery of a QC-ADDS, and develop a plan to encourage contributions from commercial quantum computing companies. The Secretary of War is further directed to establish programs or, potentially, a center to advance national readiness for national security applications of quantum computing. And, relevant agency heads are directed to strengthen the QIST ecosystem by encouraging private sector adoption of QIST-related standards, supporting research and development pathways that advance quantum-enabling technologies and eliminate QIST manufacturing barriers, encouraging and partnering with the private sector to develop quantum-enabling component technologies in the United States, potentially through offering prize challenges or advance market commitments, and identifying changes to statutes or regulations required to address quantum-specific market hurdles.

Developing Supply Chains

The Order places special priority on the development and acquisition of next-generation quantum sensors, directing efforts to field such sensors by September 30, 2028. Relevant agencies are directed to develop a five-year plan to advance various quantum sensing and networking projects, including quantum sensor manufacturing technology, quantum-network-enhanced timing, quantum-network-enabled distributed quantum computing, civilian quantum sensing and networking, and applications and hardware for quantum sensing and networking.

Agency heads are directed to promote the QIST and quantum computing supply chain, including through information sharing, domestic access to Department of War-sponsored QIST-relevant foundry resources, issuance of grants for establishing QIST facilities, and reestablishment of the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC). It also directs relevant agency heads to work to expand the quantum workforce, including by developing a government-wide recruitment and retention strategy; prioritizing QIST-relevant workforce training efforts; and engaging with domestic industry, academic institutions, and federal, state, and local agencies to promote QIST training opportunities.

Defending Against QIST Threats

While the Order places great emphasis on QIST innovation, it also directs relevant agency heads to ensure that QIST activities and policies “maintain robust and balanced security controls to safeguard critical information and protect national security interests, while not unduly impacting quantum innovation in the United States.” It directs information sharing and the establishment of a national center to develop tools and capabilities to assess the performance of quantum computing systems, and the identification of the national security implications of the increasing scale and performance of commercial quantum computers. It also directs the expansion of the Quantum Information Science and Technology Counterintelligence Protection Team to coordinate improved protections against adversarial threats to the QIST ecosystem, public messaging and outreach related to such threats, and enhanced threat information sharing with federal, industry, and academic QIST research and development entities.

International Investment and Engagement

Finally, the Order directs efforts to align international engagements, including existing bilateral and multilateral engagements, to promote QIST innovation and supply chains in the United States and like-minded countries, while protecting against efforts by countries of concern to acquire critical quantum-enabling technologies. The order provides examples of such efforts, including harmonizing investment restrictions, promoting and enhancing research and development collaboration and the flow of people and ideas, harmonizing research security and export control policies, and promoting effective research and technology protection efforts with like-minded countries. It also directs that the engagements be designed to “ensure that United States quantum and quantum-enabling technology companies have access to strategic markets and capital from like-minded countries.” To that end, it directs the Secretary of Commerce to provide recommendations that “address foreign trade barriers, discriminatory treatment, and other policies that limit the competitiveness of American QIST companies.”

Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks

While quantum computers present opportunities, they also pose critical security threats. Among the computations that large-scale quantum computers may be able to solve are those used by the algorithms underlying current cryptographic security systems. Once large-scale quantum computers become available, these cryptographic security systems will be vulnerable to compromise. This is not only a problem for the future; adversaries can collect encrypted information today with the intention of decrypting it once large-scale quantum computers become viable. However, not all computations can be performed faster using quantum computing. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has approved Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) that are believed to be resistant to both quantum and classical computational efforts.

Public and Critical Infrastructure Migration to PQC

The Executive Order Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks directs the government to begin the transition to PQC, declaring that “the United States must take steps to strengthen cryptographic protections for the Nation’s sensitive data, critical infrastructure, and digital economy.” It empowers the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the National Cyber Director to lead the PQC migration while ensuring its alignment with broader cybersecurity goals, and directs the Director of OMB to issue guidance requiring agencies to transition high value assets and high impact systems to PQC for key establishment by the end of 2030 and for digital signatures by the end of 2031. The Order also directs the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to work with Sector Risk Management Agencies to assist critical infrastructure owners in their PQC migration. And, it directs relevant agencies to engage foreign governments and industry groups to encourage migration to NIST-identified PQC algorithms. To aid in these efforts, it directs the Director of CISA, in coordination with the Director of NIST, to release public guidance within 270 days (i.e. by March 19, 2027) describing the agencies’ view as to the minimum elements for a cryptographic bill of materials (CBOM) to allow automated assessment of the cryptographic assets used by hardware and software elements.

Procurement Priorities and Contractor Requirements

Finally, the Order directs government agencies to update procurement priorities and requirements. It orders agency coordination to identify cost-saving opportunities in performing the PQC migration and directs the Director of NIST to revise the Cryptographic Module Validation Program within 180 days (i.e., by December 19, 2026) to accelerate validations of cryptographic modules. In addition, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) must publish within 180 days a proposed rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require covered contractors to comply with NIST’s FIPS by the end of 2030, and within 270 days a proposed rule amending the FAR requirements and contract clauses for contractor vulnerability disclosure programs to ensure that covered contractors implement vulnerability disclosure policies that incorporate reports of cryptographic vulnerabilities, including testing for lack of encryption and the use of non-FIPS algorithms.

Looking Ahead

Together, these Executive Orders signal a significant expansion of federal efforts to shape both the development and governance of quantum technologies. By coupling substantial investments in quantum research, commercialization, workforce development, and international engagement with an accelerated transition to post-quantum cryptography, the Administration is seeking to position the United States to capture the benefits of quantum innovation while mitigating its security risks. For companies operating in quantum, cybersecurity, defense, critical infrastructure, and federal contracting sectors, the forthcoming OMB guidance, the FAR proposed rules, and the CISA cryptographic-bill-of-materials guidance will bring significant clarity and outline certain obligations for the private sector with definitive deadlines.

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