Apple adds a new security layer to iMessage in iOS 17.4 to make the app even more secure. This is going to change.
iMessage becomes much more secure
Apple is making huge changes to your iPhone with iOS 17.4, making it possible to install apps without the App Store and add multiple payment methods. There will be no major changes to iMessage, so the app does not have to be opened to third parties. Now Apple has announced that iMessage will become a lot more secure in iOS 17.4.
Also read: iOS 17.4 beta 4 is out: these changes are coming to your iPhone
This has to do with a new security layer in the update. Apple is adding post-quantum cryptography to iMessage in iOS 17.4, which goes a step further than end-to-end encryption. The messages in iMessage are already encrypted in this way. For now that is a good security method, but in the future end-to-end encryption can probably be cracked. Apple is trying to prevent this by making iMessage even more secure in iOS 17.4.
Protection against quantum computers
It is expected that in the future quantum computers will ensure that end-to-end encryption can still be cracked. These are extremely powerful computers that can perform many calculations simultaneously. Quantum computers are not yet available on a large scale, but they will probably be available in a certain number of years. That is why the new security layer must ensure that iMessage is also safe.
With post-quantum cryptography, iMessage is protected against the emerging quantum computers. According to Apple itself, this concerns level three of security for chat services, which is explained in the diagram below. At this level, the various iMessage encryption keys are continuously updated. This is especially important if the keys are cracked, because then there is only temporary access to (a small part of) your data.
Feature coming in iOS 17.4
At the moment, quantum computers do not pose a real risk to your data, so Apple is mainly ahead of the game with post-quantum cryptography. However, it is important that iMessage is already more secure with the security layer, so that your data is not hacked later. Malicious parties regularly store data with end-to-end encryption, in order to decipher it in the future with the right technology.
Also read: This WhatsApp feature makes iMessage and Telegram redundant
With iOS 17.4, the new security layer automatically comes to iMessage. So you don’t have to adjust any settings, your data is immediately more secure after installing the update. iMessage is also much more secure on the iPad and Mac after the new updates. Do you want to know what other features are coming to your iPhone with iOS 17.4? Then read all about the big update here!
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