US Government Builds Quantum Computer, Prepares for Potential Encryption Breakthrough

The US government has issued two executive orders aimed at building a quantum computer and protecting against its potential impact on encryption. The first order, QC-ADDS, targets the development of a large-scale quantum computer to be delivered to a Department of Energy facility by an unspecified date.

The second order focuses on preparing for the consequences of a powerful quantum computer, which could potentially break current encryption methods and allow adversaries to decrypt encrypted data in the future.

The government has set a deadline of 2030 for federal agencies to migrate their most sensitive systems to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) for key establishment, with digital signatures to follow by the end of 2031.