President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders aimed at speeding the U.S. government’s work on quantum technology, including efforts to prepare federal systems for a future in which current encryption could be vulnerable and to accelerate development of a large-scale quantum computer.
The orders set two major targets. One establishes a federal deadline for moving to post-quantum encryption by 2031. The other directs the government to support research and development efforts with the goal of achieving a large-scale quantum computer by 2028.
Quantum computing has long been viewed as a potentially transformative technology because it could solve certain problems far faster than today’s systems. At the same time, it also raises security concerns. Cryptographers have warned that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could eventually undermine widely used public-key encryption methods that protect sensitive communications, financial data and government systems.
The encryption order is intended to push federal agencies to begin preparing for that risk well before quantum machines are capable of breaking existing standards. Post-quantum encryption refers to newer cryptographic methods designed to resist attacks from quantum computers. The 2031 deadline suggests the administration wants agencies to move from planning to implementation over the next several years.
The second order focuses on the hardware side of the technology race. By setting a 2028 target for a large-scale quantum computer, the administration is signaling support for faster progress in a field that remains highly experimental and has seen intense competition among private companies, universities and governments. The order is framed as a way to encourage breakthroughs rather than as a promise that the target will be met on schedule.
Together, the directives reflect a broader federal interest in both the promise and the risk of quantum computing. Government agencies have increasingly studied how quantum advancements could affect national security, cybersecurity and economic competitiveness. The new orders bring those concerns into a more formal policy framework by tying them to deadlines and research goals.
The announcement also fits into a wider policy pattern in which the administration has emphasized technological leadership and the need to protect critical infrastructure from emerging threats. In this case, the focus is on a technology that could someday help create major scientific and commercial advances, while also forcing a major overhaul of the cryptographic systems that underpin much of the digital economy.
The orders do not guarantee that the United States will achieve a breakthrough quantum computer by 2028 or complete its encryption transition by 2031. But they do establish a federal timetable for two issues that security experts and technologists have been discussing for years. One is how to build more powerful quantum machines. The other is how to protect digital systems before those machines become capable of breaking today’s security tools.