UK NCSC pilots vetted consultancies for post-quantum migration
1 OCTOBER 2025, LONDON
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre launched an Assured Cyber Security Consultancy pilot focused on post-quantum cryptography on 1 October 2025. The pilot vets consultancies so that organizations can hire advisers the NCSC has assessed for post-quantum migration work. It runs through 31 March 2027.
The pilot answers a practical problem. Post-quantum migration demands specialist skills that many organizations do not hold in-house, and a new field attracts advisers whose expertise is hard to judge. By assessing consultancies, the NCSC gives organizations a credible way to find external help and lowers the risk of hiring advisers who overstate what they can do.
As a pilot, the scheme tests the approach before any decision to make it permanent. The structure of assured post-quantum consultancy support may change based on what the trial shows between its launch and the March 2027 end date. Organizations using it should treat it as an evolving service rather than a settled one.
Why it matters. The pilot acknowledges that the skills needed for post-quantum migration are scarce, and it builds a trusted route to external expertise. For organizations that cannot staff the work internally, a vetted list reduces the guesswork in choosing advisers. The pilot also signals that the NCSC expects organizations to be actively migrating during its 2025 to 2027 window, in line with its 2028 discovery deadline.