Executive Order (EO) 14412, “Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks,” signed by President Donald Trump in June 2026, directed federal agencies to accelerate their transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). By December 31, 2030, agencies must move their high-value assets and high-impact systems to PQC for key establishment. Digital signatures must follow by the end of 2031, and the EO extends similar obligations to federal contractors. As agencies work to meet these post-quantum deadlines, network and cybersecurity leaders are under increasing pressure to reconsider how they procure, deploy, and manage infrastructure that can withstand the impending quantum threat while also protecting against “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks that are already underway.

Lamont Copeland, Senior Director of Solutions Architecture at Verizon, and Jim Westdorp, Principal Technologist at Ciena Government Solutions, joined host Matt Langan in this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast and unpacked what the 2027 and 2030 PQC milestones truly require of federal agencies. Copeland and Westdorp also discussed how to prioritize networks and systems for migration, why crypto agility is crucial to protecting today’s infrastructure investments, and how leaders can partner with industry to meet these deadlines without interfering with vital operations.