Apple is introducing a new encryption protocol for iMessage designed to protect users from sophisticated attacks using quantum computers. The new encryption protocol protects users from storing encrypted data that can only be decrypted later using a quantum computer. iMessage is the second messaging platform known to introduce support for quantum-safe encryption (Signal’s PQXDH protocol was launched last year), adding another layer of security to protect users if keys are compromised.
On Wednesday, the company detailed the development of the new PQ3 protocol for iMessage and then its deployment to supported iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch models. Apple says PQ3 is a quantum-resistant encryption protocol designed to protect conversations from being compromised by future quantum computer attackers.
Traditional public-key cryptography, used in secure messaging services like WhatsApp, iMessage and Signal, protects users from powerful computers using difficult mathematical problems. However, powerful quantum computers are said to be capable of solving these problems, meaning that even if they don’t currently exist, they could be used to disrupt encrypted chats in the future.
Apple also highlighted another challenge posed by quantum computers – “Harvest now, decrypt later“Scenario. By storing the vast amounts of encrypted data currently available, a capable attacker could gain access to this data at some point in the future once a sufficiently powerful quantum computer is able to break the traditional encryption used to protect these messages.”
iMessage will use quantum-resistant cryptography with Signal
Photo credit: Apple
iMessage is the second messaging platform to add support for quantum-safe encryption technology. Last year, Signal, widely considered the gold standard for encrypted messaging, announced a new PQXDH protocol to protect users from quantum computers. Apple says its PQ3 encryption protocol goes one step further than PQXDH by continuously changing the post-quantum key, which limits the number of messages that can be exposed if the key is compromised.
Apple said the new PQ3 post-quantum encryption protocol is designed to protect users from existing and future adversaries and will be introduced at the start of the chat. It would need to be combined with the company’s existing encryption using a hybrid design, meaning an attacker would need to defeat both traditional encryption and the post-quantum primitives used to protect iMessage conversations.
Apple said that to protect users in the event that encryption keys are compromised, new post-quantum keys are transmitted periodically (rather than with every message) to control the size of these encrypted messages while allowing users to access them even on the network Services can also be provided under poor conditions.
The new PQ3 protocol has been reviewed by the company’s Security Engineering and Architecture (SEAR) team.also been Reviewed by the team Led by Professor David Basin, head of the Information Security Group at ETH Zurich, Professor Douglas Stibilla from the University of Waterloo. The company also said it hired a third-party security consulting firm to conduct an independent assessment of the PQ3 source code and found no security issues.
Apple says that upcoming updates to iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4, and watchOS 10.4 will bring support for PQ3, and iMessage conversations on supported devices will automatically begin using the new quantum-safe protocol to encrypt messages sent and received on the device. news. platform. According to the company, all supported conversations will be upgraded to post-quantum encryption protocols this year.
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