ExpressVPN, TechRadar’s top VPN service, has announced an upgrade to its encryption protocols in response to the potential threats posed by quantum computing. The VPN provider has added post-quantum protections to its Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows apps, making it one of the first to incorporate this level of security. Users simply need to update their applications to enjoy the enhanced encryption.
As quantum computers become more accessible, the current end-to-end encryption methods are at risk of becoming obsolete. Quantum computing machines have significantly more processing power than classical computers and can potentially break through today’s encryption methods. Although widespread adoption of quantum computers is expected to take a decade, “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks are already a concern.
ExpressVPN recognized the importance of implementing protections before quantum computing becomes an immediate threat. The provider’s team of engineers designed the ExpressVPN Lightway protocol in-house in 2020 to address these concerns. The protocol incorporates elements of the open-source WolfSSL cryptography library to ensure higher speeds and support for more advanced encryption features.
The new protocol uses algorithms from the Open Quantum Safe team, specifically P256_KYBER_LEVEL1 for UDP and P521_KYBER_LEVEL5 for TCP. These algorithms were chosen by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as candidates for post-quantum encryption. The protocol also adopts a hybrid approach by combining both new and old encryption keys to provide maximum security against attacks from both classical and quantum computers.
ExpressVPN emphasizes its commitment to the open-source community and plans to continue evolving its post-quantum solutions as the computing space progresses. Other security software providers, including Tutanota, Proton, Signal, and PureVPN, have also started working on post-quantum encryption to ensure the safety of their users’ data.
ExpressVPN believes that its Lightway protocol provides a significant advantage over other VPN protocols when implementing post-quantum encryption. Other protocols would require extensive changes to support post-quantum, whereas Lightway was designed to seamlessly support these modifications.
With the race for post-quantum encryption officially underway, ExpressVPN is at the forefront of protecting user data against the potential threats posed by quantum computing. The provider’s commitment to innovation and collaboration with the open-source community sets it apart from other VPN services.
Please note: ExpressVPN and other VPN services should only be used for legal and ethical purposes, such as accessing services from other countries and protecting online security and privacy. The use of VPN services for illegal activities or piracy is not supported or condoned.
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