Keeping the Internet fast and secure: introducing Merkle Tree Certificates

Cloudflare is addressing the threat quantum computing poses to Internet security by introducing Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs) to transition to Post-Quantum (PQ) cryptography. PQ algorithms are crucial for protecting against future quantum attacks, but their adoption in TLS faces challenges due to the significant increase in signature and public key sizes. MTCs aim to streamline TLS handshakes by reducing the number of signatures and public keys required, enhancing performance while ensuring security. Cloudflare and Chrome Security are collaborating on an experimental deployment of MTCs to test their efficiency and impact on Internet security. The goal is to make post-quantum certificates accessible and efficient for widespread deployment, ensuring a secure and private Internet landscape.