This article briefly:
• Apple claims its new technology can protect against new attacks from quantum computers by creating new keys when old ones are compromised.
• According to Apple, the new PQ3 technology creates a new key in a way that cannot be copied when another key is compromised.
• It may be a while before Apple's technology is available, as it will initially only be integrated with its own iMessage app.
Apple claims its new PQ3 technology can protect against compromised cryptographic keys that manage access to sensitive data such as crypto wallet passwords.
Apple, for its part, has unveiled a new quantum-resistant technology that can turn an iPhone into a cold wallet.
Apple prepares for quantum attacks
The technology, first used in iMessage, replaces compromised keys with new ones that can't be calculated using the previous keys. As a result, a known key can't reveal all the messages in a conversation. Apple claims its new technology is quantum-resistant.
Quantum computers can solve problems that are impossible for classical computers. Tasks, such as exposing data protected by RSA or elliptic curve cryptography, may be feasible for quantum computers. So far, no quantum computer can do this on a commercial scale.
But that could soon change. Last year, IBM unveiled ten practical quantum computing projects that have the potential to crack traditional encryption methods. These could expose private encryption keys that may be stored on devices, such as iPhones. A 2023 scientific report in Nature magazine confirmed that quantum advances could pose new threats to blockchain infrastructure.
Marcos Allende et al. said, "The emergence of quantum computing constitutes a new paradigm in which digital technologies will face challenges and opportunities. Threats will come in various forms, especially when powerful quantum computers are able to crack several important encryption algorithms currently in use. As a technology that strongly relies on cryptography, blockchain is not immune to these threats."
The computing giant has finally figured out how to stabilize data-storage elements called qubits. The breakthrough paves the way for a host of new algorithms that solve difficult problems in a fundamentally different way than computers that operate on ones and zeros.
How Apple's technology can improve wallet security
Apple's secure enclave provides the best solution for cryptocurrency wallets. Just like a hardware wallet that stores private keys offline, the secure enclave isolates critical data from the running of applications. This isolation can protect the keys of cryptocurrency wallets.
At least two non-custodial wallet applications use the secure enclave, MEW Wallet and BRD. MEW uses the secure enclave for two security operations that grant access to its software. Apple’s facial biometric recognition system FaceID unlocks the first key and provides access to the second key that unlocks the wallet.
However, Apple has not yet made its latest quantum-resistant technology available to app developers. The reporter contacted Apple to learn about its plans to launch quantum-resistant cryptography. As of press time, the technology company has not responded, but it has integrated it into the developer preview of iOS 17.4. The Cupertino company has also integrated PQ3 into the final version of iOS 17.4. #苹果 #抗量子技术