Microsoft is committed to securing its critical services against quantum computers by 2029. The American giant thus joins Google and Cloudflare, which have also accelerated their timetable in the face of the looming threat.
The world of technology is gradually preparing for the advent of quantum computers. Convinced that the quantum threat is “already relevant”Google has decided to get ahead of its roadmap. The Mountain View giant now plans to finalize its transition to postquantum encryption in 2029, instead of 2035. Gmail, Drive, Android and Chrome will thus become resistant to quantum attacks in the years to come.
Mirroring Google, Cloudflare is accelerating its transition to post-quantum encryption. Fearing the arrival of Q-Day, the moment when a quantum computer will be able to break current Internet security protocols, the company is now aiming to completely secure its platform by the end of 2029.
Microsoft wants to be ready for 2029
Following Cloudflare and Google, Microsoft has also just committed to moving up a gear. Just like them, the American giant now plans to pass its “critical products and services” has post-quantum cryptography by 2029. In a blog post, Microsoft believes that “Advances in quantum research and development have changed the risk horizon”forcing everyone involved to work harder.
“For years, planning for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) has been presented as a future problem: important, inevitable, but distant”underlines Microsoft, adding that “this perspective evolves as technological progress progresses”.
For Microsoft, it is likely that “Cryptography-relevant quantum computers could arrive sooner than expected, and the work required to prepare for them is considerable”. This is why “Organizations must therefore start preparing now”. Clearly, quantum computers capable of break security protocolsand decrypting protected data with encryption algorithms, will arrive in the very near future. By 2029, all Microsoft tools must be ready to resist attacks orchestrated by quantum computers.
Also read: Microsoft’s quantum chip that was supposed to change the world questioned by a scientist
“A head start” on the quantum threat
Asked by Bleeping Computer, Mark Russinovich, technical director of Microsoft Azure, clarified that it was not a question of reacting to a specific technological breakthrough, but of anticipating future risks. He explains that the fact of “moving to quantum-resistant security takes years of work” and that Microsoft prefers “act in advance rather than waiting”so that its customers keep “a step ahead of tomorrow’s threats”.
Concretely, Microsoft will first generalize TLS 1.3, the most recent version of the protocol which encrypts exchanges on the Internet, in anticipation of the post-quantum transition. Old protocols deemed fragile will be gradually abandoned on the most sensitive access points. Furthermore, Microsoft will make its systems more “agile”. Clearly, Microsoft will make it possible to deploy a new encryption algorithm without having to rebuild the entire application. Finally, the tech giant plans to protect its cryptographic keys directly in dedicated hardware, and switch everything to the new post-quantum algorithms as soon as they become available.
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Microsoft
