Work to protect DNS from quantum decryption attacks is speeding up

Internet governance bodies are likely to accelerate work to prepare the domain name system (DNS) so it can remain secure once quantum computers can challenge conventional encryption.

John Crain, ICANN’s chief technology officer, last week told The Register that he is aware of efforts within the organization, and at other internet governance bodies, to consider what happens once commercially available quantum computers become capable of easily deciphering encrypted information.

Those machines theoretically pose a risk to DNSSEC, the Domain Name System Security Extensions that adapt PKI to the job of verifying the veracity of DNS records.

The CTO said he’s aware of predictions that such computers could come online “at the turn of the decade” and that he has therefore changed his view of when the DNS needs to be made quantum safe.

“If you asked me years ago, I would have said we probably need to be ready in ten years,” Crain said. “Now, maybe it's less than that. …