In January 2023, the IETF launched the Post-Quantum Use In Protocols (PQUIP) Working Group to coordinate the transition of Internet protocols to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). The PQUIP charter describes the group as a venue for discussing PQC from an operational and engineering perspective, and a forum of last resort for PQC-related issues in IETF protocols that lack dedicated maintenance working groups.
According to the charter, PQUIP will document operational and design guidance supporting PQC transition but will not itself update existing protocols, specify new protocols, define new cryptographic mechanisms, or assess whether a given mechanism is quantum-resistant. When topics merit formal documentation, the group adopts Internet-Drafts and may seek publication as Informational or Best Current Practices RFCs. The Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) established PQUIP on an experimental basis, with a two-year review planned for rechartering or closure.
Sofia Celi, a cryptography researcher at Brave Software, serves as co-chair. Several IETF working groups, including LAMPS, TLS, IPSECME, and COSE, had already begun work on PQC-related protocol revisions before PQUIP’s creation. PQUIP’s first meeting was held at IETF 116 in Yokohama, Japan, in March 2023.