Quantum-Proof iMessage Update

Apple says it’s rolling out an update to its iMessage texting platform that can defend against future encryption-breaking technologies such as decryption by quantum computers. 

Apple says its PQ3 “groundbreaking post-quantum cryptographic protocol” offers Level 3 security, i.e. it provides protocol protections that surpass those in all other widely deployed messaging apps. Apple says PQ3 (post-quantum cryptography 3) has the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world and that it has “rebuilt the iMessage cryptographic protocol from the ground up to advance the state of the art in end-to-end encryption”. 

Although Apple acknowledges that quantum computers with the capability to crack classical public key cryptography algorithms don’t exist yet, it says its PQ3 update offers “the strongest protection against quantum attacks” in the future and is “the only widely available messaging service to reach Level 3 security”.