G7 calls on governments to fast-track quantum-safe encryption

The G7 Cyber Security Working Group and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint statement on September 3 calling on governments and organizations worldwide to begin transitioning to post-quantum cryptography, warning that the threat posed by quantum computing to current encryption is no longer a distant concern.

A Call to Action

The document, titled "Preparing for the Post-Quantum Era: A Call to Action," was signed by the national cybersecurity agencies of all G7 member states — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — with support from the European Commission and the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).infosecurity-magazine+1

The statement urges public and private sector organizations to "reframe" the quantum threat "from a distant future problem" to "a near-term threat that demands action across all sectors, not just critical infrastructure". It outlines five priorities: raising awareness of quantum risks, developing national transition strategies, advancing research and development, building public-private partnerships, and integrating post-quantum cryptography into cybersecurity requirements.cisa+1

The advisory recommends that organizations adopt a phased, risk-based approach — beginning with identifying systems that hold the most sensitive data and mapping cryptographic dependencies across supply chains. It notes that starting the transition early could lower overall migration costs.cyber+1

"Harvest Now, Decrypt Later"

The G7 guidance aligns with warnings from U.S. health sector officials about the immediacy of the threat. At a recent Health IT Summit, ASPR Senior Cybersecurity Advisor Bob Bastani said the agency is preparing to release its own post-quantum cryptography migration guidance for hospitals and public health organizations.govciomedia

CDW Healthcare Industry Strategist Nelson Carreira warned that threat actors are already collecting encrypted data with plans to decrypt it once quantum computers can break current encryption — a tactic known as "harvest now, decrypt later." "PQC migration is something you should start today, because it's going to be a massive threat," Carreira said.govciomedia

Broader Federal Push

The G7 call to action is part of an accelerating government-wide effort. The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum in June directing federal agencies to submit post-quantum migration plans and to mitigate "as much quantum risk as feasible by December 31, 2030". A separate G7 Cyber Expert Group roadmap published in January recommended that the financial sector complete migration of critical systems by 2030–2032 and all remaining systems by 2035.bancaditalia+2

France's national cybersecurity agency ANSSI, which chairs the working group under France's 2026 G7 presidency, spearheaded the latest statement. A federal Post-Quantum Cryptography Summit is scheduled for September 16 in Washington to help agencies accelerate their transition efforts.cyber.sites.beta+2