Windscribe has become the latest VPN to introduce support for post-quantum encryption (PQE), the new industry standard.
Not all providers in our best VPNs list have adopted post-quantum encryption – NordVPN and ExpressVPN are the only two currently supporting it out of our top five.
Windscribe has said it has built PQE into its WireGuard offering, utilising a pre-shared key. The new encryption standard is available on Windscribe’s desktop, iOS, and Android VPN apps.
Quantum computers aren’t yet widely available. However, security and privacy providers are taking steps to protect users before Q-Day arrives – the point when quantum computers can break most encryption methods.
There is debate about when VPN providers should implement PQE but Windscribe is one the services adopting it sooner rather than later.
Making use of a pre-shared key
Windscribe is post-quantum resistant thanks to utilising a pre-shared key (PSK) and “a post-quantum-resistant encryption algorithm.” PSKs are securely shared before needing to be used.
Traditional encryption methods scramble information and can only be read by those with a decryption key. Quantum computers can “evaluate multiple states simultaneously,” instead of one-by-one.
This makes Windscribe’s regular encryption method vulnerable to attack.
WireGuard’s known limitations state it isn’t quantum secure by default, but a PSK can be used to “add a layer of post-quantum secrecy.”
It later states “the best bet for post-quantum security is to run a truly post-quantum handshake on top of WireGuard, and then insert that key into WireGuard’s pre-shared key slot.”
Windscribe has made use of PSKs since it introduced WireGuard, but key exchange took place using classical encryption methods.
PSKs are now shared using a PQE algorithm – “TLS 1.3 using the hybrid key exchange mechanism X25519MLKEM768.” Windscribe says the PSK is “rotated” each time you log into the app.
How to enable PQE on Windscribe
Windscribe has said its apps “now support post-quantum WireGuard out of the box,” starting with the following versions: Desktop 2.17.9, Android 3.93.1835, and iOS 3.9.4.
To make sure PQE is enabled, log out of your Windscribe app and log back in again. This only needs to be done once on each device running Windscribe, and the provider said it is a “must.”
Then select the WireGuard protocol, choose your server, and connect.
It appears as though all WireGuard connections are quantum secure, with no option to switch between PQE and traditional encryption.
Windscribe hasn’t said if PQE is available for Windscribe Free – one of the best free VPNs – users. We have reached out for clarification.
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