Google Sets Timeline for Post-Quantum Cryptography Migration

Google has introduced a 2029 timeline for its migration to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). 

The company’s new timeline reflects three converging developments. Progress on quantum computing hardware, advances in quantum error correction, and resource estimates for quantum factoring.

“As a pioneer in both quantum and PQC, it’s our responsibility to lead by example and share an ambitious timeline. By doing this, we hope to provide the clarity and urgency needed to accelerate digital transitions not only for Google, but also across the industry,” the blog read.”

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Critically, the company has shifted its threat model. Encryption faces a risk from ‘store-now-decrypt-later’ attacks, in which adversaries harvest encrypted data today to decrypt it once quantum computers are powerful enough. 

Digital signatures, meanwhile, represent a future threat, but one that requires transitioning to post-quantum cryptography before a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) arrives. For that reason, Google has prioritized PQC migration for authentication services and recommends that other engineering teams do the same.

The company backed its timeline with a tangible deliverable. Google said that Android 17 is integrating PQC digital signature protection using ML-DSA, the Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

“This continues to put advanced PQC technology directly into the hands of our customers, building on our Google Chrome support for PQC, providing PQC solutions in Cloud and insights and guidance for leaders on their PQC Journey,” the firm added.

The announcement also arrives at a pivotal moment for blockchain security. The Ethereum Foundation’s teams are also aiming to target 2029 for L1 protocol upgrades. However, many continue to argue that the quantum threat remains at least a decade away.

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