Secure messaging platform Signal has announced commitments to protect users from quantum-level attacks, starting with an upgrade to its protocol to further protect end-to-end encryption.
In a updateSignal CTO Ehren Kret said the “layer of protection” would protect “against the threat of a quantum computer being built in the future that is powerful enough to break current encryption standards.”
Quantum computing promises to pose a very real threat to encryption in the future, and Signal’s commitment to building in protection at the quantum level is a testament to its focus on security.
Signal is preparing for quantum computing
Signal has grown in popularity in recent years amid concerns about less secure messaging thanks to its end-to-end encryption, which promises to keep unwanted eyes out of personal messages.
It is also a firm favorite among those concerned about cybersecurity and their digital footprint as it is a standalone product. WhatsApp, for example, is part of the much larger Meta portfolio.
While quantum computing is far from a global reality, it does pose the very real threat of solving problems much faster than classical computing, meaning it can crack encryption keys in a relatively short time.
Kret added: “Although quantum computers already exist, the systems we know of today do not yet have enough qubits to pose a threat to the public key cryptography that Signal currently uses.”
It’s unclear how far away powerful quantum computers could be, but Signal at least considers them a “real and growing risk,” hence the early preparation.
Post-quantum cryptography remains an area that requires enormous amounts of work, but Signal has certainly earned even more trust among fans due to concerns about digital cryptography. privacy Get on.