In mid-August, something fascinating unfolded with Chrome, and it’s something most of us probably overlook – the application change log, especially when it’s related to a web browser like Chrome.
With the installation of Chrome 116 on your machine, you’ll now be tapping into the world of quantum technology 🧩, specifically quantum-resistant cryptography. Google is steadfastly advancing its strategy to protect data against potential attacks by quantum computers. Version 116 has added support for X25519Kyber768, a mechanism that establishes symmetric secrets. It’s a hybrid blend of X25519, a widely-used elliptic curve algorithm in TLS today, and Kyber-768, a quantum-resistant Key Encapsulation Method 🛡️.
Kyber has been endorsed by NIST as a quantum-resistant encryption for general purposes, especially when accessing secure websites.
What makes this so vital, even when powerful quantum devices are scarce? It’s challenging to foresee how long our existing methods will remain secure. Some data will retain value over time, and for such data, there’s a method called “Harvest now and decrypt later.” Since storing data is inexpensive today, attackers might simply bide their time, waiting for better devices to decrypt them. Hence, the need for robust protection methods now 🕒.
The fantastic news is that this approach will secure communication between Chrome and Google servers, and it’s open for Chrome communication with third-party server operators.
🌟 Fun Fact: Kyber-768 is named after the fictional kyber crystals used to power lightsabers in the Star Wars universe! 🌟
Google’s proactive protection of its products is indeed commendable. Read more about this exciting development here: Protecting Chrome Traffic with Hybrid Kyber KEM.
Thanks Michal -- I didnlt pick that up -- and so it begins being brought into the mainstream….