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There were already plenty of reasons to look forward to the next iPhone update, scheduled for early March. But now Apple has announced something totally unexpected. This will make a big difference. Get ready for quantum computer protection for iMessage. seriously.
Updates for February 25th are as follows. This post was first published on February 22, 2024.
In a support note issued on February 21st, Apple said: “Today, we are announcing the most significant cryptographic security upgrade in iMessage history with the introduction of his PQ3, a breakthrough post-quantum cryptographic protocol that advances the state of the art in end-to-end secure messaging. ”
If you thought Apple already introduced encryption to iMessage, you’d be right. But this takes things to another level. Apple says this will be the “strongest security property of any large-scale messaging protocol in the world.”
Other services are also focusing on security, with Signal announcing “security enhancements after quantum encryption.” Apple welcomes this and says it provides Level 2 security. Apple’s view is that iMessage security will currently be managed at Level 1, similar to WhatsApp, until iOS 17.4 is released. When iOS 17.4 is released, PQ3 will reach level 3 security, as determined by Apple.
It will also be distributed to other Apple platforms with iMessage: iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
If you’re wondering where quantum computing comes into play, this is it. It is believed that in the future, quantum computers will be able to overcome the currently available encryption levels. That means, for example, if a hacker can get an image now, they can figure out what was said once a quantum computer becomes available.
Messaging security level defined by Apple.
apple
“Sufficiently powerful quantum computers could solve these classical mathematical problems in fundamentally different ways, so they could theoretically improve the security of end-to-end encrypted communications,” Apple said. Quantum computers with this capability don’t yet exist, but extremely resourceful attackers can exploit the skyrocketing costs of modern data storage. We can already prepare for the advent of quantum computers by taking advantage of the decline. The premise is simple. Such an attacker can collect large amounts of current encrypted data and save it all to a file for future reference. Although we cannot currently decrypt this data, we can preserve it until we have a quantum computer that can decrypt it in the future. This is known as an attack scenario. Harvest now, decrypt later”
Whether it’s just harmless nonsense like “I’ll take the bus and be home in 20 minutes,” a detailed business-critical message, or a strategic plan sent on the ground in a combat zone, your message. No one wants to be seen by others.
Privacy is central to Apple, and the company describes it as a fundamental human right. This type of security upgrade is welcome and provides real peace of mind.
For more information on security, see this post by Forbes contributor Zak Doffman.
Updated on February 23rd. If you want quantum security on your iPhone and it sounds pretty cool too, let’s be honest, it’s easy to set up. If you have the public version or developer beta version installed on your phone, it will automatically upgrade to his PQ3 protection. Otherwise, you’ll be updated when the general release of iOS 17.4 is released in early March.
This isn’t an immediate switch, and Apple says: “Support for PQ3 begins with the public release of iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4, and watchOS 10.4 and is already available to eligible developers in preview and beta releases. Conversations will automatically transition to post-quantum encryption protocols. As we gain experience operating PQ3 on iMessage’s large-scale global scale, we will fully transition existing protocols for all supported conversations this year. We plan to replace it.”
As Apple says, there are a lot of iMessage users, so replacing the protocol by the end of 2024 will be quite an effort.
Note that the devices at both ends of the message must be running iOS 17.4 to activate the PQ3 encryption protocol (this is because Apple says blue bubbles are better than green bubbles). Another way to help you believe that Android smartphones, by definition, run iOS 17.4). (does not have PQ3). Also, not all iPhones can run iOS 17.4, so this protocol is not applicable.
Updated on February 25th. Still not convinced that the PQ3 update is a good thing? Matt Burgess at Wired There’s a great explanation of what that means and what happens.
“Quantum computing is serious business. The governments of the United States, China, and Russia and technology companies such as Google, Amazon, and IBM have invested billions in (still) relatively early-stage efforts to develop quantum computers. If successful, the technology could lead to scientific breakthroughs in everything from designing medicines to creating long-lasting batteries. Politicians can also become quantum superpowers. Current quantum computing devices are still in the experimental stage and are not practical for general use.
“Unlike the computers we use today, quantum computers use qubits that can exist in multiple states (currently a bit is either 1 or 0). It means they can store more information and potentially perform more complex calculations, such as breaking encryption, than traditional computers.”
Burgess went on to quote Lukasz Olejnik, an independent cybersecurity and privacy researcher and consultant, who said quantum computers “have the potential to break most of today’s codes.” There is. Oleinik said that tech companies are taking the quantum threat very seriously, and things are moving quickly, especially since post-quantum cryptography is still very young.
If things are moving quickly, isn’t there a risk that companies will go in the wrong direction and end up not being able to provide protection? Apple seems to be risk averse, with current elliptic curve cryptography and new post-quantum protection. “Breaking PQ3 security requires breaking both existing classical ECC cryptography and new post-quantum primitives.” ”
As mentioned above, one of the best things about this security development is that you’re protected as soon as you install iOS 17.4.You can read the latest details about when it will be available here.
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