France to Mandate Quantum-Resistant Encryption Starting in 2027

The French cybersecurity agency ANSSI (Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Systèmes d’Information) has announced its intention to stop certifying security products that do not incorporate quantum-resistant encryption (Post-Quantum Cryptography) by 2027. This policy was revealed by ANSSI’s Chief of Staff, Samih Souissi, during the France Quantum conference, as reported by Reuters.

This decision essentially mandates the transition to quantum-resistant encryption for security products used by French government agencies and critical infrastructure operators. Given that ANSSI certification is a prerequisite for government procurement, affected products must comply with the new cryptographic standards by 2027 or risk exclusion from the market. Souissi emphasized the strategic importance of the policy, stating, “This is not merely a technical issue; it is a matter of governance, industrial planning, regulation, and sovereignty.”

The Underlying Threat

The driving force behind ANSSI’s decisive action is the growing concern over the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attack risk. This method involves attackers collecting and storing encrypted data today, with the intention of decrypting it en masse in the future when quantum computers become capable of breaking current public-key encryption algorithms, such as RSA and elliptic curve cryptography, within feasible timeframes. The fear that state-level intelligence agencies may already be employing this strategy has heightened urgency among European policymakers.

Souissi stated that companies should purchase only quantum-safe products by 2030. The timeline appears to account for the lead time organizations require for cryptographic transitions. Updating encryption methods is not as simple as a software patch; it involves extensive work, including overhauling protocol stacks, hardware accelerators, certification infrastructure, and interoperability testing.

A Concrete Migration Timeline

ANSSI’s timeline for this transition can be summarized as follows:

• 2027: Certification of new security products that do not implement quantum-resistant encryption will cease.
• 2030: Companies are recommended to exclusively purchase quantum-safe products.

While the certification stoppage applies broadly to “security products,” it is anticipated to include VPN devices, certificate authority (CA) products, electronic signature solutions, and encrypted communication devices. Any encryption-related products provided to government agencies are likely to be affected.

ANSSI has previously released a phased roadmap for transitioning to post-quantum encryption, and this announcement represents the final regulatory step in solidifying that roadmap. As part of its “National Quantum Technologies Strategy” unveiled in 2023, the French government has prioritized cryptographic transitions. The planned cessation of certification is seen as a move to formalize and operationalize this strategy.

Ripple Effects Across Europe

France’s decision could have a broader impact across the European Union. The EU’s cybersecurity certification framework (EUCC) has some interoperability with ANSSI’s certification system, which means France’s actions may effectively shape cryptographic standards across Europe. The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) is also actively promoting the transition to post-quantum cryptography, with other national cybersecurity agencies, such as Germany’s BSI and the Netherlands’ NCSC, reportedly preparing similar guidelines.

This shift goes beyond merely replacing cryptographic algorithms. It requires updates to hardware implementations of cryptographic modules, key management systems, certificate lifecycle management, and extensions to existing protocols like TLS, IPsec, and SSH. While the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is expected to finalize its standards for algorithms like CRYSTALS-Kyber (key exchange) and CRYSTALS-Dilithium (signatures) by 2024, transitioning to these standards is expected to take several years.

Impact on the Industry

Security product vendors will need to integrate quantum-resistant encryption into their products by 2027 to comply with the new regulations. Companies that rely heavily on French government contracts will face immediate pressure to revise their development roadmaps. However, the regulation may also provide a competitive edge to vendors who have proactively adopted quantum-safe technologies.

The cost of transitioning to post-quantum encryption will not be insignificant, encompassing updates to cryptographic libraries, the overhaul of public key infrastructure (PKI), firmware updates, and more. However, postponing the transition only increases the potential risks associated with the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attack method. ANSSI has warned, “If preparations don’t begin now, it will be too late by 2027.”

As Souissi pointed out, the issue of “sovereignty” underscores the importance of national control over encryption technologies as a cornerstone of national security. With the practical realization of quantum computing becoming increasingly feasible, vulnerabilities in cryptographic systems pose a direct threat to national sovereignty. France’s early regulatory response makes it a pioneer in addressing this critical issue.

Editorial Opinion

In the short term, the 2027 deadline is far from generous. Many current security products do not yet support quantum-resistant encryption, and considering the development cycle for vendors—design, implementation, testing, and certification—the effective timeframe is closer to two years. Products with hardware cryptographic modules, in particular, will require substantial time for updates. This tight timeline could lead to a surge in last-minute demand for certified products, potentially increasing the risk of quality issues. Moreover, the pace at which other European nations align with France’s lead will significantly influence the overall speed of the transition across the supply chain.

In the long run, this regulation serves as a firm “deadline” to enforce the implementation of post-quantum cryptography across the industry. Although NIST has concluded its standardization process, the actual deployment of post-quantum encryption has been slow. Government regulations like this one could become the most effective driving force for widespread adoption. If France’s decision evolves into an EU-wide regulation, it will become a requirement that global security vendors cannot ignore. This development is also highly relevant for Japan, where the government drafted a “Quantum Cryptography Technology Roadmap” in 2023 but has yet to set binding deadlines. France’s move may prompt other governments to consider similar regulations.

As the editorial team, we pose the following questions: Is the 2027 deadline technically feasible? To what extent should backward compatibility with legacy encryption be maintained during the transition? And finally, will this regulation truly secure France’s “sovereignty,” or will it merely shift dependence to standardization bodies and vendors? Engineers and product managers involved in cryptographic transitions must begin inventorying their cryptographic assets now and develop prioritized migration plans. The risks posed by the “Harvest Now” strategy are urgent and should be integrated into organizational security strategies, regardless of whether regulations are in place.

References

• France To Stop Certifying Products Without Quantum-Safe Encryption - Slashdot — Published on 2026-06-16