President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Monday to accelerate U.S. quantum technology development and protect government systems against quantum computer threats. The first order updates quantum policy to focus on practical applications like computing and sensing. The second mandates federal agencies to adopt post-quantum cryptography (PQC) by 2030-2031, with the Department of Commerce launching a pilot program by 2027. The White House emphasized the need to counter 'harvest now, decrypt later' attacks. Industry groups welcomed the aggressive timelines, echoing similar efforts by the U.K. and other allies. This move aims to safeguard encrypted data against future quantum decryption capabilities.

Key facts

• Trump signed two executive orders to boost quantum tech and post-quantum cryptography.
• First order shifts focus to practical quantum applications like computing and sensing.
• Second order mandates federal agencies adopt PQC by 2030-2031.
• Commerce Department to launch PQC pilot program by 2027.
• Move addresses 'harvest now, decrypt later' threat from future quantum computers.