PQShield and Carahsoft Partner to Accelerate Post-Quantum Cryptography Adoption for U.S. Government Agencies
PQShield Ltd
Carahsoft Technology Corp., a Master Government Aggregator and The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, and PQShield, a top supplier of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions, have formally established a strategic alliance. The goal of this partnership is to greatly speed up the transition of US government organizations to quantum-safe cryptography. By virtue of this arrangement, Carahsoft will act as PQShield’s Master Government Aggregator, guaranteeing that the Public Sector can access the company’s PQC product set.
The growing pressure on defense and federal agencies to update their encryption infrastructure is directly addressed by the collaboration. The development of powerful quantum computers poses a danger to the current state of traditional cryptography techniques, making this update essential. This project carefully complies with important government requirements, including the National Security Agency’s (NSA) National Security Memorandum (NSM)-10 and Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) 2.0 rules. According to these rules, PQC technology must be implemented by 2030.
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This partnership is crucial for assisting government agencies in making the required shift to become post-quantum ready, said Ben Packman, Chief Strategy Officer of PQShield. Packman added that the publication of the new NIST guidelines marks a significant advancement in post-quantum security. He underlined that NIST-aligned, quantum-safe products are already on the market and are moving through the world’s supply chain.
In order to actually speed up adoption, Packman emphasized the necessity of more education and explicit guidelines for businesses on the significance of these standards and how they affect security duties, in addition to ongoing technology advancement.
He added that collaborations like this are essential because government organizations and crucial national infrastructure are expected to be among the first targets of threats enabled by quantum technology.
The NIST-mandated phase-out of vulnerable cryptographic algorithms, such as RSA, which must be finished by 2035, emphasizes how urgent this change is. Together, PQShield and Carahsoft are assisting government clients in meeting the 2035 deadline for the switch to post-quantum cryptography set by national cybersecurity organizations such as the NSA and NCSC.
PQShield’s Expertise and Comprehensive Product Suite
PQShield is well known for its extensive knowledge of NIST’s PQC standards. The fact that PQShield staff members are co-authors of every NIST PQC standard that has been released to date further demonstrates this knowledge. The business immediately contributes this high degree of specialized knowledge to government deployments. PQShield uses advanced security protocols, patented technology, and unique cryptographic algorithms in addition to its contributions to standards. In order to satisfy the strict criteria for Cloud, Edge, and Government-grade applications, the resulting solutions undergo extensive testing and align with important certifications like NIST, Common Criteria, SESIP, and PSA.
In order to particularly meet the various optimization issues and priorities that government department IT directors encounter, PQShield provides a flexible product package that is divided into three technical pillars. These pillars are arranged according to their main goals: ultra tiny, ultra secure, and ultra quick.
- PQPerform (Ultra fast): The goal of this pillar is to provide high-performance PQC at the center of the network. Both new and current applications are intended to be accelerated by it. For networking applications like firewalls, routers, and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), this performance is very important.
- PQPlatform (Ultra secure): These implementations are tailored for extremely important infrastructure components. They must have the highest integrity standards because they are meant to be used in goods that are frequently long-lived and the target of extremely skilled attackers.
- PQMicroLib (Ultra small): This solution is designed for devices with limited memory. This covers microcontrollers, embedded systems, and field-deployed devices like industrial controls and energy smart meters. For OEMs and device manufacturers who require effective PQC implementations to protect end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) communications channels and ensure data confidentiality and integrity, this method is very helpful.
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Carahsoft’s Role in Government Procurement
Through its extensive network of reseller partners, Carahsoft, PQShield’s Master Government Aggregato, streamlines the procurement process and makes the public sector easily accessible to quantum-safe technologies. In order to satisfy the procurement requirements of public sector organizations actively looking for compliant, quantum-resistant solutions, Carahsoft will make use of its extensive network.
Vice President of Cybersecurity Solutions Brian O’Donnell of Carahsoft confirmed that the addition of PQShield’s products to the company’s portfolio of solutions is in line with their goal of providing their government clients with the most cutting-edge and pertinent technologies.
O’Donnell emphasized that the need for secure and compliant post-quantum cryptography solutions is growing quickly due to the impending NIST deadline in 2035. He came to the conclusion that Carahsoft and its reseller partners are prepared to fulfill the procurement requirements of public sector entities that still require the implementation of quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms.
The NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) is one of the government contract vehicles that offers the PQC product package. In particular, PQShield’s hardware, software, and services are accessible through the Quilt Master Service.
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About the Companies
The post-quantum cryptography startup PQShield creates quantum-safe encryption solutions to update critical security systems and parts of the global supply chain for technology. The business provides secure, high-quality, real-world quantum-safe cryptography solutions for cloud, software, and hardware. PQShield, which has its headquarters in the UK, employs 90 specialists in ten different countries. Addition, Oxford Science Enterprises, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Legal & General are among the companies that support the business.
As The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, Carahsoft Technology Corp. serves the education and healthcare sectors as well as public sector enterprises, including federal, state, and local government agencies. For its vendor partners, Carahsoft serves as the Master Government Aggregator, offering solutions in critical domains including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, multicloud, quantum computing, and dev-ops. Through hundreds of contract vehicles, Carahsoft collaborates with consultants, systems integrators, and resellers to deliver industry-leading IT services, products, and training.
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