Apple released a new update for nearly all its devices that provides an all-new type of encryption for its iMessages to the point that, in theory, iMessages are now protected against attacks from quantum computers.
This is a little tricky because, as we’ve covered before, quantum computers don’t exist yet, and we don’t really know when they might.
Apple’s newest encryption technology, called PQ3, now secures iMessages with end-to-end encryption that is quantum-resistant. Signal, the secure messaging app of choice for many, launched quantum-resistant encryption for its service in September with its protocol called PQXDH.
In a blog post, Apple called this update the “most significant cryptographic security upgrade in iMessage history.”
To the average user, it’s probably tough to fully understand what this means. Private companies and governments are still pouring billions of dollars into developing quantum computers, and it’s more of a theory than a reality. We still don’t know a lot about quantum computing, and whether it could eventually be deployed in a scalable and responsible manner. The second one is created, though, it’s a safe bet that it’s going to fall into the wrong hands.
Having these protections in place now is a huge step toward the U.S. National Institutes of Standards and Technology’s goal of creating post-quantum encr ..
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