QuSecure Awarded U.S. Air Force Contract for Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Solutions

Department of the Air Force with QuSecure Advances Toward a Quantum-Resilient Future Protecting the Country from Today’s and Tomorrow’s Cybersecurity Threats 

SAN MATEO, Calif. — Jan. 18, 2024 — QuSecure™, Inc., a leader in post-quantum cryptography (PQC), today announced it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by AFWERX to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). DAF will use QuSecure’s QuProtect™, the industry’s first end-to-end PQC software-based solution uniquely designed to protect encrypted communications and data with quantum-resilience using quantum secure channels.  

The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business, and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. This Air Force SBIR contract award follows similar SBIR contract awards QuSecure has won from the U.S. Army 2023 (Phase II SBIR) and the U.S. Government in 2022 (Phase III SBIR).  

“Following winning our previous two SBIR awards, QuSecure is proud to be a part of the Department of the Air Force’s efforts toward a more cybersecure future,” said Garrison Buss, QuSecure Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer. “This award from the Air Force recognizes QuSecure’s ability to help enhance the combat fighting capabilities necessitated by modern warfare.” 

The U.S. Government’s urgency to move toward a quantum safe future has been established with the recent actions taken by Congress and the White House. The Endless Frontiers Act established a Technology and Innovation Directorate at the National Science Foundation to use $100 billion in federal funds over five years to research emerging technologies including quantum computing, and specifically mentions the need for PQC. Additionally, in December 2022 President Biden signed into law the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, which requires the Office of Management and Budget to prioritize federal agencies’ migration to IT systems using post-quantum cryptography. 

QuSecure’s QuProtect software enables organizations to leverage quantum-resilient technology and is currently available to test and deploy, helping to prevent today’s cyberattacks, while future-proofing networks and preparing for quantum cyberthreats. It provides quantum-resilient cryptography, anytime, anywhere and on any device including network, cloud, IoT (Internet of Things), edge devices, and satellite communications. Using QuProtect, organizations can implement PQC on the network without removing existing encryption so installation is fast and risk is minimal. QuProtect software uses an end-to-end quantum-security-as-a-service architecture that addresses the digital ecosystem’s most vulnerable aspects, uniquely combining zero-trust, next-generation post-quantum-cryptography, crypto agility, quantum-strength keys, high availability, easy deployment, and active defense into a comprehensive and interoperable cybersecurity suite. The end-to-end approach is designed to protect the entire information lifecycle as data is communicated, used and stored. 

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. 

About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.  

About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,697 contracts worth more than $2.6 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit www.afwerx.com.  

About QuSecure
QuSecure is a leader in post-quantum cybersecurity with a mission to protect enterprise and government data from quantum and classical cybersecurity threats. Its quantum-safe solutions provide an easy transition path to quantum resiliency across any organization. The company’s QuProtect solution is the industry’s first PQC software-based platform uniquely designed to protect encrypted communications and data with quantum-resilience using a quantum secure channel. For more information visit www.qusecure.com.