QNu Labs Launches QShield 2.0 for Quantum Risk Assessment
QNu Labs has unveiled QShield 2.0, the technological foundation for its National Cryptographic Assessment & Assurance Framework. The launch took place at the company’s 10th-anniversary event in Bengaluru. This framework aims to help organizations identify their cryptographic assets, evaluate them against quantum and classical risks, and continuously validate them. The release is particularly timely as India’s National Quantum Mission encourages critical infrastructure sectors to adopt post-quantum cryptography, creating an immediate demand for a discovery-first tool.
QShield 2.0’s Capabilities
QNu Labs has structured its framework around three continuous processes: Discover, Assess, and Assure. According to the company, the tool actively locates cryptographic assets throughout an organization’s systems, assigns a risk score for both quantum and classical threats, and performs ongoing validation rather than relying on periodic audits.
QShield 2.0 comprises five modules, as detailed in the company’s announcement: Quantum Entropy, Quantum Readiness Risk Assessment, Quantum PKI, Quantum Vault, and AI Security. The AI Security module specifically addresses cryptographic risks within AI models and autonomous agents.
QNu Labs also offers separate hardware lines for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG), named Armos and Tropos, which are distinct from this software platform and listed on India’s GeM procurement portal.
The Importance of Initial Discovery
Many organizations struggle to maintain an accurate inventory of their cryptographic assets. QNu Labs aims to close this gap with its new framework. This issue is fundamental to the entire post-quantum migration effort, as it’s impossible to replace algorithms that cannot be identified.
Security vendors echo this sentiment, emphasizing that cryptographic inventory and crypto-agility are crucial for defending against “harvest-now-decrypt-later” attacks. These attacks involve stealing encrypted data today and holding it until a quantum computer can break the encryption, a threat window that several vendors, including Sectigo, estimate to be around the end of the decade.
The timing of the launch is driven by regulatory factors. In February 2026, India’s Department of Science and Technology, operating under the National Quantum Mission, released a Task Force Report recommending that critical infrastructure sectors begin formal post-quantum implementation by 2027. Gartner projects that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer capable of breaking RSA-2048 could emerge between 2030 and 2035.
Ajai Chowdhry, Chairperson of the National Quantum Mission, praised the framework as an example of the indigenous, sovereign capability that the mission seeks to foster. QNu Labs mentioned that the launch included early deployment accounts from banks and security depositories, though it did not disclose their names, pricing, platform support, or a general availability date. The next steps will involve obtaining validation status and providing named customer testimonials, neither of which are currently available in the release.