Arthur McMiler 
PQShield, a U.K.-based provider of post-quantum cryptography, or PQC, tools, has partnered with Carahsoft Technology to make its product suite available to U.S. government agencies. Carahsoft said Thursday it will serve as PQShield’s Master Government Aggregator, distributing the products via its reseller network and federal and cooperative purchasing contracts.
PQShield’s offerings would help enable government agencies and contractors comply with emerging post-quantum cryptography standards by 2030, while supporting the shift from legacy encryption methods like the RSA public-key encryption algorithm, set for phaseout by 2035.
The technology suite, based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s PQC standards and proprietary algorithms, is designed to meet cloud, edge and government-grade security requirements. The company has served as a co-author in all NIST PQC standards published to date. Besides NIST certifications, the company’s PQC toolkit also aligns with Common Criteria, Security Evaluation Standard for IoT Platforms and Platform Security Architecture standards.
What Can Government Users Draw From PQShield’s Tool?
PQShield’s product suite offers government IT leaders flexible post-quantum cryptography options tailored to performance, security or size needs. Its three core products, PQPerform, PQPlatform and PQMicroLib, address specific use cases:
- PQPerform is built to deliver high-speed encryption for network infrastructure.
- PQPlatform is designed to protect critical, long-life systems often targeted by highly sophisticated attackers.
- PQMicroLib enables lightweight PQC implementations for embedded and memory-limited devices such as smart meters and industrial controls.
“Given that government agencies and critical national infrastructure will likely be among the first targets of quantum-enabled threats, it is essential to collaborate with partners like Carahsoft to help these institutions navigate the transition to post-quantum readiness,” said Ben Packman, PQShield’s chief strategy officer.
