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Eman Blair, a former Senior Intelligence Service Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency, has joined the Federal Advisory Board of post-quantum cryptography firm QuSecure as US federal agencies ramp up efforts to protect systems against quantum computing threats.
Blair spent more than two decades at the CIA before retiring in 2023, during which time she earned the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. Her career spanned senior executive roles across data, cyber, cloud adoption, digital innovation and defence coordination.
Her titles included Chief Data Officer, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief of Digital Innovation for Europe and the Counterterrorism Mission Center, and Senior Representative of the CIA Director to the Department of Defense. She also served as Chief of Leadership Development at the CIA Leadership Academy.
Blair holds graduate degrees from Durham University and the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree from Kuwait University.
Federal agencies shift from planning to execution
The appointment arrives as US federal agencies move from planning to active execution of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) migration programs.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has standardised post-quantum algorithms, and federal directives including CNSA 2.0 now mandate quantum readiness by 2027. Agencies are increasingly focused on identifying vulnerable cryptography across their networks and modernising cryptographic infrastructure to withstand future quantum-capable attacks.
The urgency stems from what security researchers have termed “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, in which adversaries collect encrypted data today with the expectation of decrypting it once sufficiently powerful quantum computers become available. For intelligence and defence agencies handling classified and sensitive information, the window to act is narrowing.
Blair’s intelligence background seen as key asset
Brian Cunningham, EVP of Strategy and Growth at QuSecure, pointed to Blair’s experience managing complex government technology programs as a factor in the appointment.
“Eman spent her career leading some of the most complex data, cyber and technology modernisation efforts in government,” Cunningham commented. “As agencies implement post-quantum requirements, her experience managing mission-critical systems at scale provides valuable insight into how organisations can modernise cryptography while maintaining operational continuity.”
Blair described the quantum threat as having shifted from a distant possibility to a pressing concern during her time in the intelligence community.
“During my career at the CIA, I watched the quantum threat move from theoretical to near-term,” Blair explained. “The institutions I served and the systems I helped build are exactly what adversaries with quantum capabilities will target.”
“QuSecure is focused on making post-quantum protection operational for the organisations that need it most. That is why I joined their Federal Advisory Board.”
Cryptographic migration without application rewrites
San Mateo-based QuSecure provides a cryptographic control plane for enterprise cryptographic infrastructure. The company’s platform enables organisations to build a complete cryptographic inventory across their networks, enforce policy-based governance and deploy compliant cryptography – from TLS upgrades to full post-quantum migration – without requiring application rewrites.
Its QuProtect R3 platform allows security teams to swap algorithms and push cryptographic policy changes across an entire network from a single control plane. The platform is designed to be backwards compatible with legacy infrastructure and operates across cloud, on-premises, air-gapped and sovereign environments.
QuProtect R3 supports compliance with a range of standards and directives including CNSSP 15/NSM-10, CNSA 2.0, PCI DSS and DORA.
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Growing federal advisory presence
Blair’s addition to the Federal Advisory Board reflects QuSecure’s continued push into the US government market. The company counts US defence agencies, financial institutions and critical infrastructure providers among its customer base.
With the 2027 CNSA 2.0 deadline approaching, federal agencies face mounting pressure to complete cryptographic inventories and begin transitioning to quantum-resistant algorithms. Appointments like Blair’s suggest that PQC vendors are building out advisory capacity to help guide agencies through what is expected to be a complex and lengthy migration process.
More information is available at www.qusecure.com.
Last Updated on June 20, 2026 by Nick Ross
