Governing the Post-Quantum Cryptography Transition in the US and the EU: A Comparative Analysis

Large scale quantum computers are anticipated to pose serious threat to the current digital infrastructure in that they will enable decryption of much of information encrypted with conventional methods used today. This threat has been gaining momentum as a next cybersecurity frontier. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is deemed to be the main solution in mitigating this threat and the necessity to act upon it has already been embraced by numerous governments around the world. This article analyses how two jurisdictions-the US and the EU-have been governing their transition to PQC. It discusses the state of play, the relevant actors, policies as well as the main challenges and future trajectories. This process has been unfolding in different ways in the US and the EU which are now both pursuing the same ultimate quantum-readiness timeline of 2035. Alongside, the considerations surrounding PQC algorithmic choices are also explored.