Carahsoft Technology Corp., a government IT solutions provider, and Patero Inc., a company specializing in cryptographic inventory and post-quantum encryption, have announced a partnership to distribute Patero’s PanoQoR™ solution to the Public Sector. This agreement positions Carahsoft as Patero’s Master Government Aggregator®, making the solution available to Public Sector entities through Carahsoft’s reseller network and established contracts, including NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V, Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software 2 (ITES-SW2), National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint, and OMNIA Partners.
The PanoQoR™ solution offers cryptography discovery, inventory, quantum risk assessment, and compliance reporting capabilities. This addresses the growing concern that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could compromise the asymmetric encryption currently used by governments and civilian organizations worldwide. The White House, in May 2022, issued National Security Memorandum 10 to address quantum computing risks, followed by OMB Memorandum M-23-02, which mandates agencies to submit annual inventories of information systems and assets vulnerable to quantum attacks.
Patero Chief Operating Officer Peter Bentley emphasized the immediate nature of this shift, stating, “The shift to post-quantum cryptography is not theoretical, it’s operational. Agencies must know what encryption they have today before they can protect what matters tomorrow.” He added that Carahsoft’s Public Sector network makes them an ideal partner to scale this capability across the U.
S. and Canada.
Establishing a cryptography inventory, conducting quantum risk assessments, and generating compliance reports are critical steps for meeting Federal and civilian regulatory requirements. This also serves as the foundational phase for migrating from legacy encryption methods to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to safeguard sensitive data and systems. Carahsoft’s Quantum Solutions Team will distribute Patero’s PanoQoR solution to help its Federal, defense, and critical infrastructure customers meet these mandatory inventory requirements.
Government timelines for PQC transition are urgent. U.
S. agencies are required to submit PQC transition plans under OMB M-23-02 and complete high-priority migrations by 2030, according to NSA’s CNSA 2.0 guidance. Similarly, Canadian departments must submit initial PQC migration plans by April 2026, complete critical transitions by 2031, and achieve full PQC compliance by 2035. Both administrations have issued warnings regarding “harvest-now, decrypt-later” campaigns, where sensitive data encrypted with classical algorithms is being captured for future decryption, creating a security vulnerability that only quantum-resistant encryption can address.
Patero and Carahsoft will provide agencies with key capabilities through PanoQoR™, including Cryptographic Discovery & Inventory, enabling customers to identify all instances of classical encryption across IT, OT, and cloud ecosystems. Quantum Risk Scoring & Prioritization will allow Public Sector organizations to assess their exposure to “harvest-now, decrypt-later” risks and regulatory deadlines. Additionally, Compliance Reporting & Continuous Monitoring will assist agencies in producing auditable evidence of progress toward CNSA 2.0 and ITSM.40.001 milestones.
Troy Meraw, Quantum Solutions Program Manager at Carahsoft, commented on the partnership’s significance, stating, “Quantum computing will redefine cybersecurity. By bringing Patero’s cryptographic inventory and PQC remediation tools to our Government and enterprise customers, Carahsoft and our reseller partners are enabling security leaders to take proactive steps now to meet mandates.” Patero is privately held and based in the Quantum Startup Foundry at the University of Maryland, College Park.
