CISA and the G7 Cyber Security Working Group released 'Preparing for the Post-Quantum Era: A Call to Action', establishing five priority areas that elevate post-quantum cryptography from a future concern to an urgent operational mandate [1][1]. The 'harvest now, decrypt later' threat means adversaries are already collecting encrypted data today, creating a present economic and business liability rather than a theoretical future risk [1]. Red River's Post-Quantum Cryptography Accelerator, led by Zero Trust architect Robert Jordan, provides a discovery-to-implementation pathway that maps directly to the CISA and G7 framework's five priority areas [1][1].
What is Covered in this Article
- CISA and G7's five-point PQC call to action [1][1]
- The active 'harvest now, decrypt later' threat [1]
- PQC and Zero Trust convergence as an adoption accelerant [1]
- Futurum Research's crypto-agility recommendation [2]
- Red River's Post-Quantum Cryptography Accelerator [1][1]
The News: CISA and the G7 Cyber Security Working Group jointly released 'Preparing for the Post-Quantum Era: A Call to Action,' warning that 'several recent advances suggest an anticipation of the development of quantum computers able to break widely used public-key cryptography mechanisms and threaten the security of digital infrastructures' [1]. The document defines five priority areas: raising awareness, developing national strategies, advancing research and development, fostering public-private partnerships, and integrating PQC into cybersecurity requirements and procurement processes [1]. The announcement explicitly flags the 'harvest now, decrypt later' threat as already active, framing quantum risk as a current economic and business concern [1]. Red River responded by highlighting its Post-Quantum Cryptography Accelerator, authored by Senior Design Architect and Zero Trust Practice Lead Robert Jordan [1][1].
CISA and G7 Make PQC Transition an Immediate Imperative
Analyst Take: The CISA and G7 joint release marks a decisive shift in the PQC conversation: quantum cryptographic risk is no longer a planning exercise for a distant future [1]. The 'harvest now, decrypt later' dynamic means adversaries are already collecting encrypted data today, creating a present economic and business liability as they wait for capable quantum systems to decrypt it [1]. Organizations that treat PQC as a long-horizon concern are already behind.
Government Mandates Compress the PQC Timeline
The five priority areas defined by CISA and G7 create a structured accountability framework that will accelerate PQC adoption across both public and private sectors [1]. Government mandates have historically been the most reliable catalyst for enterprise security investment, and this joint release carries the combined weight of the United States and the six other G7 nations. Futurum Research reinforces this dynamic directly: 'More in-country companies provide products when governments mandate national PQC initiatives. Everyone needs the best and most modern cybersecurity infrastructure, and the NIST standards should be part of that' [2]. The NIST foundation is already in place: in August 2024, NIST published three new standards that researchers believe are impervious to eventual quantum attack, forming the technical basis for PQC products [2]. Organizations now have both the regulatory pressure and the standards framework to act.
Harvest Now, Decrypt Later: Risk Is Present, Not Pending
The most underappreciated element of the CISA and G7 announcement is its treatment of quantum risk as a current economic and business threat [1]. Sensitive data encrypted today under classical public-key cryptography can be harvested by adversaries and held until quantum decryption becomes feasible. This makes every day of delay a compounding liability. Futurum Research is unambiguous on the scope of the obligation: 'Quantum readiness also means you immediately begin your transition to cybersecurity protocols and practices that should be impervious to attack by quantum computers. This is true for both your products and corporate operations' [3]. The dual obligation, internal infrastructure and customer-facing products, significantly broadens the addressable surface that organizations must secure and the market that solution providers must serve.
Zero Trust Convergence Lowers the Adoption Barrier
One of the more practical insights in the CISA and G7 response is that PQC transition does not require organizations to start from scratch. Red River argues that investing in PQC aligns directly with Zero Trust initiatives that most companies have already prioritized, making it a natural next step [1]. Zero Trust architectures already demand continuous verification, least-privilege access, and strong identity assurance, all of which are reinforced by quantum-safe cryptographic protocols. Treating crypto-agility as an extension of an existing Zero Trust program reduces both the organizational friction and the budget justification burden. Futurum Research frames the baseline action clearly: 'If you do nothing else, transition your cybersecurity infrastructure to one that is crypto-agile and employs the NIST PQC standards' [2]. For enterprises already mid-journey on Zero Trust, this is an incremental step, not a new program.
Red River's Accelerator Offers a Structured On-Ramp
Red River's Post-Quantum Cryptography Accelerator translates the CISA and G7 framework into an operational starting point for enterprises and government agencies, beginning with discovery and implementation of PQC agile cryptography that maps to the framework's five priority areas [1][1]. The offering is led by Robert Jordan, Senior Design Architect and Zero Trust Practice Lead, whose 20-plus years of cybersecurity and Zero Trust architecture experience directly maps to the convergence opportunity described above [1]. Futurum Research identifies the transition to PQC protocols as 'the most important step you should take immediately,' covering both corporate infrastructure and customer offerings [3]. Red River's structured approach positions the firm as a credible implementation partner for organizations work through the regulatory and technical demands now codified by CISA and G7 [1][1].
What to Watch
- Federal procurement integration: whether CISA translates the G7 call to action into binding PQC requirements in U.S. federal contracts during Q4 2026 [1]
- Enterprise Zero Trust programs: how quickly security teams fold crypto-agility into existing Zero Trust roadmaps as the CISA and G7 framework gains visibility [1]
- NIST standards adoption rate: which sectors move first to certify products against the NIST PQC standards baseline established in 2024, and at what pace through 2027 [2]
- Competitive solution market: how incumbent cybersecurity vendors repackage or accelerate PQC offerings in response to the government mandate signal [2]
Sources
1. PQC Demands Preparation: The New Call to Action from CISA & G7, Redriver, September 2026
2. Quantum and Security: Fact or Fiction?, Futurum Research, February 2025
3. Are You "Quantum Ready," Whatever That Means?, Futurum Research, June 2025
Disclosure: Futurum is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Read the full Futurum Group Disclosure.
Author Information
This content is written by a commercial general-purpose language model (LLM) along with the Futurum Intelligence Platform, and has not been curated or reviewed by editors. Due to the inherent limitations in using AI tools, please consider the probability of error. The accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this content cannot be guaranteed. It is generated on the date indicated at the top of the page, based on the content available, and it may be automatically updated as new content becomes available. The content does not consider any other information or perform any independent analysis.
