The document, called national security memorandum 10 (nsm-10), calls for the development of "strategies for the whole government and society" for Quantum Information Science (QIS), including "security enhancements against quantum cryptography". The main focus is the expected creation of a quantum computer (crqc) related to cryptanalysis, which is the hypothetical goal of some QIS research in the United States.
Current research shows that in the near future, when quantum information science is mature and quantum computers can reach sufficient scale and complexity, they will be able to crack most of the cryptography that currently ensures the security of our digital communication. In many cases, this cryptography can be traced back to works published in the late 1970s and updated in the following decades. The good news is that this is not an unsolvable problem. NIST, the National Institute of standards and technology, will soon release a new encryption standard to prevent these future attacks.
Biden's memorandum mentioned anti quantum encryption technology more than 20 times when arranging tasks for institutions such as the U.S. network security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the U.S. National Security Agency and NIST, which plays an authoritative role in developing network security standards. These institutions will have about six months to provide a list of currently deployed cryptographic systems. NIST and CISA will also be required to establish contacts with the private sector, including key infrastructure operators, to transition important systems to anti quantum cryptography.
Biden also issued an executive order on Wednesday to create a national quantum Program Advisory Committee, including White House officials and up to 26 experts from industry, academia and the U.S. National Laboratory. The order is based on the national quantum initiative Act signed into law by trump in 2018.