The White House is reportedly drafting an executive order that would reshape how the federal government coordinates investment, infrastructure, security, and commercialization efforts across U.S. quantum technologies.
According to a draft obtained by NextGov/FCW, the directive would create a whole-of-government strategy for quantum information science and technology (QIST), framing it as both an economic and national security priority.
The draft assigns OSTP a central coordinating role and directs Commerce, Energy, and Defense to update the National Quantum Strategy, expand research infrastructure, and deepen industry and allied partnerships.
It positions quantum computing, sensing, and networking as strategic technologies requiring stronger federal coordination to protect competitiveness and mitigate supply chain and espionage risks.
“The quantum threat isn’t a ‘someday’ scenario; it’s a present-day mandate. While quantum computing will dramatically accelerate innovation across healthcare, finance, and national security, it also threatens to render today’s encryption obsolete,” said Daniel Wilbricht, president of Optiv + ClearShark in an email to eSecurityPlanet.
He explained, “The forthcoming Executive Order makes it clear the federal government is moving from observation to action, leveraging NIST’s post-quantum standards, inter-agency coordination, and aggressive timelines to modernize our cryptographic backbone before adversaries can exploit a ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ reality.”
Daniel also explained, “This Executive Order signals that the federal government is moving decisively to modernize cryptography before adversaries can exploit today’s encryption tomorrow.”
Updating the National Quantum Strategy
One of the order’s most consequential provisions is a mandated update to the National Quantum Strategy, which has not been formally revised in years.
Under the draft, OSTP, alongside Commerce, Energy, Defense, ODNI, and NSF, would have 180 days to deliver an updated strategy reflecting advances in technology, investment, and global competition.
Agencies would then have 30 days to report to OSTP and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on how they plan to implement the strategy’s objectives.
By tying strategy updates to clear deadlines and budget alignment, the order appears designed to move federal quantum policy from high-level planning toward measurable execution.
National Quantum Computing Capability
The draft order also calls for establishing a federally backed quantum computer for scientific applications and discovery, referred to as QCSAD.
At least one system would be housed at a Department of Energy (DOE) facility, leveraging DOE’s experience operating large-scale research infrastructure.
The Energy Department would be directed to partner with the private sector to accelerate deployment.
The Department of Commerce would develop a plan to sustain investment in commercial quantum companies, potentially through grants, co-investment models, standards development, and performance benchmarking.
Within 180 days, Energy, Commerce, and Defense would also establish a Center of Excellence to assess quantum computing capabilities, providing standardized evaluations of system performance as commercial claims proliferate.
Beyond computing, the draft includes five-year roadmaps for quantum sensing and networking from Energy, Commerce, NSF, and NASA.
These technologies are described as foundational to a future distributed quantum computing ecosystem, supporting applications ranging from scientific measurement to space-based communications.
Workforce, Trade, and Counterintelligence
Workforce development is a central component of the proposal.
OSTP would collaborate with academic institutions to expand education and training pathways, while NSF would establish National QIST Education and Teaching Institutes.
The Department of Labor would track workforce metrics to assess progress in building quantum talent pipelines.
The draft also addresses trade and competitiveness, directing Commerce, the International Trade Administration, and the U.S. Trade Representative to identify foreign trade barriers and recommend actions to protect U.S. market access.
The FBI would expand its QIST counterintelligence team, while ODNI would coordinate enhanced protections for sensitive research.
The draft notably omits provisions on post-quantum cryptography and does not assign oversight roles to DHS or CISA, despite their leadership in federal cryptographic migration efforts.
The Quantum Paradox: Opportunity and Risk
The draft reflects the “quantum paradox”: the same computing advances that promise transformative breakthroughs also threaten today’s cryptographic foundations.
Quantum systems use quantum mechanical principles to solve optimization, simulation, and cryptographic problems far faster than classical supercomputers.
A cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) could break widely used public-key encryption such as RSA and ECC.
This risk has driven federal efforts to standardize and deploy PQC algorithms.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized an initial set of PQC standards to guide federal and industry adoption.
Executive actions have accelerated migration timelines, including mandates to support modern protocols like TLS 1.3 by early 2030.
Agencies are urged to inventory vulnerable systems, modernize infrastructure, and adopt crypto-agile architectures that can adapt to evolving standards.
Quantum Policy Shifts to National Strategic Priority
If signed, the executive order would mark an escalation in federal coordination around quantum technologies.
By aligning research, commercialization, manufacturing, workforce, and counterintelligence, the administration aims to position quantum as a core pillar of U.S. science and security strategy.
At the same time, the absence of explicit PQC directives in the draft raises questions about how quantum advancement and quantum resilience efforts will remain aligned.
As private investment grows and global competition intensifies, policymakers must balance innovation with preparing for quantum-related security risks.
The draft suggests quantum policy is shifting from exploratory investment to structured national execution, signaling its emergence as a strategic priority.
