iMessage, the staple messaging platform for iPhone users, is set to get an encryption makeover.
Apple is future-proofing iMessage with a level of encryption that even quantum computers can’t crack. Quantum computers are already a reality, though they haven’t reached the sophistication to crack solid encryption. This is likely to change in the future as the technology advances.
With iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4 and watchOS 10.4, Apple will introduce PQ3, which the tech describes as the “most significant” and “groundbreaking post-quantum cryptographic protocol that advances the state of the art of end-to-end secure messaging.”
Although the day when quantum computers can crack end-to-end encryption isn’t here yet, Apple’s move is trying to protect against a scenario known as “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later.” The scenario essentially means that threat actors are collecting encrypted data now in hopes that an advanced quantum computer will be able to crack it in the near future.
Signal is the only other messaging platform that has started transitioning to an encryption system similar to Apple’s PQ3, which can prevent today’s encrypted data from being decrypted in the future.
What PQ3 essentially does is that it updates a message’s encryption key periodically, paired with conventional encryption methods, so even if a key is compromised, it will not affect the whole conversation between two users.
Apple’s report provides more details on how PQ3 works and how it was developed, and you can read more about it here.
Source: Apple
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