IonQ and the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) announced a collaboration to establish a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) for mission-critical quantum systems. The project, titled SEQCURE (Securing Experimental Quantum Computing Usage in Research Environments), is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force and aims to transition quantum security from legacy static perimeters to a model of continuous verification. This framework is based on the NIST SP800-207 standard, requiring every access request to be validated regardless of its origin within the network.
The collaboration focuses on analyzing current commercial security practices to define a standardized ZTA that can be deployed across quantum hardware, software, and cloud environments. By integrating continuous verification into the pillars of computing, networking, and sensing, the partnership intends to create a verifiable security layer necessary for the future quantum internet and national-scale infrastructure. The resulting standards are expected to guide the trusted integration of quantum technologies across various federal agencies and commercial sectors.
This initiative expands IonQ’s existing federal footprint, which includes partnerships with DARPA and the U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). The project is centered at MIQA@ARLIS, a facility launched in April 2025 at the University of Maryland’s Discovery District dedicated to accelerating the transition of quantum research into national security applications. The framework aims to ensure that as quantum computers like the forthcoming IonQ Tempo scale in performance, they maintain an ecosystem capable of supporting highly sensitive government and industrial workloads.
For further details on the SEQCURE program and the NIST-defined security pillars, consult the official IonQ announcement here.
March 10, 2026
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