‘Today we are happy to announce the first step in advancing quantum resistance for the Signal Protocol: an upgrade to the X3DH specification which we are calling PQXDH. With this upgrade, we are adding a layer of protection against the threat of a quantum computer being built in the future that is powerful enough to break current encryption standards.’

  • ᗪᗩᗰᑎ
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    1 year ago

    From https://signal.org/docs/specifications/pqxdh/#passive-quantum-adversaries

    PQXDH is designed to prevent “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks by adversaries with access to a quantum computer capable of computing discrete logarithms in curve.

    Also:

    PQXDH is not designed to provide protection against active quantum attackers.


    Basically this makes it pointless to collect any data now with the intent to decrypt it in the future - e.g. the NSA collecting all your encrypted messages to decrypt them all in 5-10 years once they have a capable quantum computer.

    It does not protect against an active quantum attacker - of which there are currently none, so work in the field is likely expected to continue.

    • SturgiesYrFase
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      OK, cool, thanks for the disambiguation. So kinda actual protection, but at the same time lip service. I’ll take that.

      • LollerCorleone@kbin.socialOP
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        Also remember that this is only a layer of added protection. Work on this will continue. But this is more than what any other player in this market space currently offers.