Cloudflare to Issue Quantum-Resistant TLS Certificates
Internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare announced plans to issue quantum-resistant TLS certificates. These certificates are designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers.
Cloudflare announced Tuesday its intention to issue quantum-resistant TLS certificates, positioning itself as one of the first authorities to offer such certificates leveraging cryptography believed to withstand quantum computer attacks.
The company will utilize an open-source platform to issue both classic TLS certificates and a post-quantum equivalent known as Merkle Tree Certificates. These hybrid certificates will be provided at no cost to all users. To facilitate the widespread adoption of this system across the TLS ecosystem, Cloudflare is acquiring a trusted certificate root from CA GlobalSign. The company stated this move will allow millions of websites to adopt post-quantum certificates with minimal performance impact.
Cloudflare's initiative is part of a broader overhaul of the Web Public Key Infrastructure (WebPKI), essential for securing website encryption and authentication in the post-quantum era. A key challenge involves implementing quantum-resistant signatures that can be efficiently transmitted and logged to prevent fraudulent certificates.
This transition is expected to take several years and will require significant contributions from engineers working on operating systems, browsers, certificate authorities, and internet infrastructure. Widespread adoption will necessitate extensive industry-wide collaboration.