The G7 cybersecurity working group urges an immediate pivot to post-quantum cryptography to guard against data that could be decrypted in the future, emphasizing the growing risk of harvest-now, decrypt-later attacks as quantum capabilities advance.

PQC transition is framed as essential for both public and private sectors to protect sensitive information and critical infrastructure from emerging quantum threats.

While the exact CRQC timeline remains uncertain, the urgency is underscored by current threats that could target authentication and supply chains once quantum-ready capabilities arrive.

IonQ highlights the SkyWater acquisition for $1.8 billion as a pivotal step toward a vertically integrated, full-stack quantum platform, with a tangible milestone of commissioning a 256-qubit system in early 2027 and projected revenue guidance for 2026 in the high hundreds of millions.

IonQ’s roadmap targets accelerated growth to ~10,000 qubits by 2027, deploying 256-qubit QPUs in 2027 after SkyWater integration, and reporting strong 2026 revenue alongside ambitious long-term goals.

IonQ’s federal engagements include a $39 million HALO contract with the Space Development Agency, participation in DARPA HARQ, and inclusion in the Missile Defense Agency’s defense initiatives, signaling expanding government readiness efforts.

Policy momentum includes executive moves to accelerate PQC adoption with varied timelines across administrations and sectors, alongside private-sector targets like Google aiming for 2029.

Major hardware players (Google, IonQ, IBM, Intel) are advancing in parallel, with collaborative efforts like NSA-DoD/Army programs accelerating the domestic quantum ecosystem and secure supply chains.

PQC readiness is framed as a systems problem—encompassing embedded solutions and practical implementations, such as Microchip’s post-quantum security offerings.

Ambiguity remains around RLNC deployment, noting its production-readiness status and potential use across layers of the Web3 stack.

A practical 90-day to multi-year plan emphasizes executive ownership, risk discovery, crypto-agility for new investments, and phased deployment of PQC across high-priority systems.

NZ’s government agencies are integrating quantum considerations into national standards and supplier requirements to smooth the PQC transition.