QuSecure Appoints Former CIA Executive to Advisory Board
Former CIA digital chief Eman Blair joins the quantum security firm as federal encryption deadlines approach.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Jun 22, 2026
A Silicon Valley quantum security company has named a former senior Central Intelligence Agency official to its federal advisory board as government agencies face looming deadlines to update their encryption infrastructure.
QuSecure Inc. announced that Blair, who previously served as the CIA’s chief digital and innovation officer, will advise the firm during a critical transition period for federal cybersecurity.
The appointment arrives as federal agencies shift from planning to executing post-quantum cryptography migrations. Under federal directives, including the Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0, government agencies must achieve quantum readiness by 2027 to protect sensitive data against future decryption threats from quantum computers.
Blair retired from the CIA in 2023 after more than 20 years of intelligence community service, earning the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. Her executive career at the agency included roles as chief data officer, deputy chief information officer and chief of digital innovation for Europe and the Counterterrorism Mission Center. She also served as the CIA director's senior representative to the Department of Defense.
In her new role, Blair will help guide the company's efforts to transition government agencies away from legacy cryptography. The migration process requires organizations to inventory existing cryptographic assets and integrate new algorithms standardized by the National Institute for Standards and Technology.