- IBM is collaborating with Signal and Threema to create messaging protocols resistant to quantum computer attacks.
- Cryptographer Ethan Heilman warns encrypted messaging faces a greater near-term quantum threat than Bitcoin due to “store-and-forward” attacks.
- Secure messaging apps are already implementing upgrades, like Signal’s PQXDH and SPQR protocols, to defend against future decryption.
- Advances from Google, IBM, and Caltech are accelerating the timeline for when powerful quantum computers could break current encryption.
IBM researchers revealed work with encrypted messaging firms Signal and Threema on Monday, aiming to future-proof communications against quantum computer assaults. This emerging technology could potentially break the encryption safeguarding messages for governments, journalists, and millions worldwide. According to a new report, classical supercomputers would need “a spare billion years” to crack this encryption, but quantum machines may soon change that reality.
Consequently, cryptographer Ethan Heilman argues the short-term quantum risk to messaging is higher than for Bitcoin. He explained that “store-and-forward attacks” allow adversaries to record encrypted communications now for decryption later with a quantum computer. This threat is underscored by the growing use of apps like Signal by high-level officials, as seen in the 2025 “Signalgate” incident.
Meanwhile, developers are already deploying countermeasures. Signal introduced the PQXDH upgrade in 2023 and strengthened it in 2025 with the Sparse Post‑Quantum Ratchet protocol. Threema is exploring integration of the NIST-standardized ML-KEM algorithm, a shift detailed in its collaboration with IBM. However, designing these new protocols requires ground-up redesigns for speed and efficiency.
The research also focuses on shielding sensitive metadata, like group chat membership. Most experts agree a quantum computer capable of threatening Bitcoin remains distant. Heilman noted, however, that “as soon as the threat becomes more real, things move quicker.” This urgency is driven by recent stability and scaling advances from major tech firms.
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