Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical Crossroads, The Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink, and I'm your host, Will Walden. If you want uninterrupted episodes of the Elon Musk podcast, please go to clubelon.supercast.com to find out how there's a link in the show notes. So Apple has announced an enhancement to imessages security with a forthcoming iOS
17.4 update. It introduces a new cryptographic protocol named PQ 3, which is aimed at bolstering encryption and providing protection against potential quantum computing. Threats of the company's security team heralds this development as a huge step forward in the realm of end to end messaging encryption, asserting that PQ3 positions iMessage as the premier messaging service in terms of security, surpassing all others
in widespread use. The initiative is a proactive measure against the theoretical risk posed by quantum computing to current encryption standards and despite the non existence of quantum computers capable of such decryption at present, Apple is addressing the potential future scenario where such technology could be used maliciously to decrypt encrypted
data. This anticipatory approach is informed by the belief that is necessary to start implementing defenses against these hypothetical feature threats well ahead of their materialization. Now Apple's PQ3 protocol is acclaimed as the first to achieve what the company describes as Level 3 security. This new standard devised by Apple indicates that imessages protections exceed those of any other widely used messaging
application. The company's advancements with PQ3 are particularly notable given the speculative nature of quantum computing attacks at this stage. Now the concept of Harvest now Decrypt later underscores the urgency of Apple's efforts. The scenario involves attackers collecting encrypted data today to decrypt it in the future. With quantum computing now, the feasibility of this approach is increasingly viable due to the decreasing cost of data storage.
Showing that the importance of forward-looking security measures like PQ Three are of utmost importance. Now, Apple's blog provides comprehensive details about PQ3, showcasing the company's commitment to their own users data. Now this move is consistent with Apple's history of prioritizing privacy and security, often at the expense of third party access to his platforms as demonstrated by his protective stance over the iMessage
ecosystem. Since its inception in 2011, iMessage has consistently LED in implementing end to end encryption by default, and over the years Apple has continually enhanced its cryptographic protocols, most notably transitioning to elliptic curve cryptography in 2019 and introducing features like periodic Re keying to further secure encrypted keys against potential compromises.
The advent of quantum computing represents a fundamental challenge to traditional public key cryptography methods like RSA and elliptic curve cryptography, which rely on mathematical problems that are currently deemed too complex for classic computers to solve. The potential of quantum computing to disrupt these assumptions underscores the need for new cryptographic paradigms like Apple is focusing on now.
Apple's new focus on post quantum cryptography, or PQC, is a pivotal shift towards securing communications against the theoretical capabilities of future quantum computers. Now PQC involves developing new algorithms that are secure against quantum attacks, what can be implemented on today's classical computer infrastructure. Now in assessing the security of messaging apps against protocol quantum threats, Apple has introduced a novel framework for categorizing messaging security levels.
This model highlights the progression from classical cryptography to quantum secure protocols, with most existing messaging services lacking in quantum security measures. Now the PQ3 protocol differentiates itself by incorporating post quantum cryptography not only in the initial key exchange but also in the ongoing message encryption
process. This comprehensive application of PQC ensures that iMessage conversations are well protected against both current threats and those anticipated in the era of quantum computing. Now the design of PQ3 is a complete overhaul of imessages cryptographic protocol aiming to set a new standard and secure messaging. It integrates post quantum cryptography from the outset of conversations and introduces mechanisms to limit the impact
of potential key compromises. And a hybrid approach in PQ3 combines traditional elliptic curve algorithms with post quantum algorithms, ensuring that the new protocol security is never inferior to its predecessor.
This design also optimizes message sides to prevent excessive overhead from the added security layers, and PQ3's introduction of a novel post Quantum Re keying mechanism addresses the challenge of key compromises enabling the cryptographic security of a conversation to be swiftly restored if a key is compromised.
This features particularly innovative in the context of large scale cryptographic messaging protocols and the Re keying process and PQ3 involves both traditional and post quantum elements ensuring robust security against various attack
vectors. It's a dual approach that maintains the integrity of message encryption even in the face of evolving quantum threats in the future and Apple's commitment to verifying the security of its cryptographic protocols is very evident in the formal verification of PQ3. The process involved with collaboration of leading cryptography experts and extensive review ensures a high degree of confidence in the protocol security.
So detailed analysis by cryptography professionals show that PQ Three's robustness against both classic and quantum adversaries and bad actors confirm its effectiveness in securing message confidentiality throughout various phases of the communication process. And the construction of PQ Three was guided by a deep dive into cryptographic principles with a particular focus on establishing and maintaining post quantum security from the initial key exchange through the entire
conversation life cycle. Now PQ3 in iMessage is proactive. It's a comprehensive approach to securing communications against the potential threats posed by quantum computing in the future. And PQ3's new iMessage sets a new benchmark in messaging security, offering users enhanced protection that anticipates and addresses the challenges of tomorrow's cryptographic threats. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support.
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