Google's Post-Quantum Cryptography Roadmap Accelerates Traditional Digital Certificate Pressure

Google has released a roadmap for its post-quantum cryptography (PQC) migration, which puts traditional digital certificates under pressure. The company's deadline for migrating to PQC is now set at 2029, six years ahead of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) guidance.

According to Jason Soroko, SVP of Product at Sectigo, Google's roadmap is a significant development in the industry's transition to post-quantum cryptography. The company is focusing on enhancing foundational capabilities for cryptographic agility, which will allow systems to adopt new cryptographic standards with minimal engineering effort.

Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs) are a key component of Google's PQC roadmap. MTCs are designed to keep secure connections fast in the coming era of quantum computers by reducing the size of digital signatures. The certificates will be publicly verifiable and will not abandon X.509.

Google's 2028 date for MTCs is tied to standardization work still in progress at the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Cloudflare, Apple, and Sectigo have contributed to the development of MTCs, which will be an open standard controlled by no single vendor.