From Ars Technica · · 2m
Cloudflare plans quantum-safe certificates
The internet infrastructure provider will issue hybrid TLS certificates designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers.
In brief
The internet infrastructure provider will issue hybrid TLS certificates designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers. Cloudflare will issue quantum-resistant TLS certificates using Merkle Tree technology, making it one of the first certificate authorities to do so. Originally reported by Ars Technica.
Cloudflare enters quantum-safe era
Cloudflare announced Tuesday it will issue quantum-proof TLS certificates, making it one of the first authorities to do so. The certificates use cryptography believed to withstand quantum computer attacks.
Hybrid certificates, free for all
Cloudflare will use an open source platform issuing both classic TLS certificates and post-quantum Merkle Tree Certificates. The hybrid certificates will be free to both paying and non-paying users.
Acquiring GlobalSign's trusted root
To establish ubiquity across the TLS ecosystem, Cloudflare is acquiring an already trusted certificate root from CA GlobalSign. This lets millions of websites use post-quantum certificates without performance overhead.
The quantum threat to encryption
Quantum computers could eventually forge classical encryption signatures and public keys of certificate logs using Shor's algorithm. An attacker could forge signed certificate timestamps, deceiving browsers about certificate registration.
Why Merkle Trees solve the problem
Quantum-proof X.509 certificates would add forty times the data needed for a TLS handshake, breaking the internet. Merkle Trees drop handshake data to about forty kilobytes, the same as processed now.
Transparency becomes mandatory
Under current systems, transparency logging is separate from certificate issuance. With Merkle Tree Certificates, logging becomes core to issuance. As Cloudflare engineer Mari Galicer said, transparency becomes a requirement for operation, rather than an add-on.
“By coupling issuance and logging, transparency becomes a requirement for operation, rather than an add-on.”
A years-long overhaul ahead
Cloudflare's plans are part of a major overhaul in web public key infrastructure required for post-quantum safety. The makeover will take years because it requires work from engineers designing operating systems, browsers, and certificate authorities.
First quarter twenty twenty-seven launch
Cloudflare said it expects to start issuing quantum-resistant certificates in the first quarter of twenty twenty-seven. The company is committing to the work in public and sharing milestones with the WebPKI community.
What it means
Cloudflare will issue quantum-resistant TLS certificates using Merkle Tree technology, making it one of the first certificate authorities to do so.
