DOD quantum strategy ‘a first step’ in preparing for the future, CIO says
Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies appears at a Senate Committee on Armed Services subcommittee hearing on cybersecurity on Capitol Hill on March 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies said the department’s new post-quantum cryptography strategy is only one component of ensuring its operations “are robust and ready in an increasingly unpredictable world.”
The Pentagon’s recently released strategy for defending against quantum computing technologies will ensure “the integrity of our systems for decades to come,” its IT lead said Wednesday, adding that network modernization “is only a first step” in readying the U.S. military for future threats.
Speaking at the SAP NOW summit in Washington, D.C., Defense Department Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies said her agency’s new guidance for “accelerating our adoption of post-quantum cryptography” outlines a forward-looking approach for mitigating the risks posed by the emerging capabilities.
The strategy, which was released on Tuesday, came out one day after President Donald Trump signed two executive orders seeking to embolden domestic development of quantum capabilities and defend against advanced threats to federal agencies’ cryptographic security systems.
To keep adversaries from leveraging quantum computers to break through current digital safeguards, the strategy outlines five “major lines-of-effort” for making systems resilient. These include centralizing current department governance, scanning for current vulnerabilities and developing a migration framework, developing post-quantum cryptographic algorithms and protocols, integrating secure commercial solutions into department operations and deploying quantum-resistant devices.
The Pentagon’s quantum guidance says all systems must support post-quantum cryptography “or be phased out” by the end of 2030, with all systems supporting the enhanced standards “unless otherwise noted” by the end of 2031.
Davies said “it’s important” for DOD to take these steps, but added that it's only one component of the department’s overall need to “ensure the national security infrastructure and the complex supply chains that underpin every mission are robust and ready in an increasingly unpredictable world.”
This includes better adoption of new technologies, with Davies saying the department is “unlocking the full potential of data and artificial intelligence” to enhance its operations.
‘We're transforming information into decision dominance, automating complex logistical challenges, predicting supply chain bottlenecks before they happen and ensuring our commanders and the warfighters have the intelligence they need at the speed of relevance,” she added.
With persistent cyberthreats posing an ongoing challenge to its security — and with AI capabilities potentially expanding out the risks posed by these digital attacks even further — the Pentagon has also been pushing to onboard more skilled cyber talent.
DOD previously announced in April that it is launching a Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program to bring more personnel into cybersecurity roles, with an emphasis placed on skills-based hiring over educational backgrounds. The Trump administration, in particular, has pushed for agencies to transition away from a degree-first mentality when it comes to hiring new cybersecurity personnel.
Davies noted that the department’s cyber apprenticeship program “has already generated more than 70,000 inquiries,” even though the pilot isn’t set to launch until next month.
“By breaking down silos across industry and the federal enterprise, by reinvigorating our vital supply chains, by harnessing the power of innovation and unleashing the unmatched talents of the American workforce, we will dominate the digital frontier,” she said.