Post-quantum encryption
In order to counter future quantum threats, NordVPN has finished implementing post-quantum encryption on all platforms.
Leading cybersecurity provider NordVPN has announced that all of its VPN apps now offer post-quantum encryption (PQE). This important update has now been fully implemented across all of its supported platforms and is intended to prevent user data from being decrypted by upcoming large-scale quantum computers.
In September 2024, the NordVPN Linux application was released, marking the start of the implementation. In this first phase, the first post-quantum cryptography upgrade for the NordLynx protocol was included in a Linux software update. According to WireGuard, NordLynx is a high-performance VPN protocol renowned for its exceptional speed and security. The updated protocol met the most recent post-quantum encryption standards set out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Protecting Linux users against quantum decryption and gathering crucial performance measurements, like the effect on latency and connection speeds, were the two goals of the Linux deployment.
“The collected data served as a stepping stone in the transition to quantum-resistant encryption to the rest of the platforms,” stated Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN. He stated that “The Linux case demonstrated that it successfully maintained the highest level of user experience in terms of connection time and speed during the transition” . The path for expanding post-quantum cryptography support to further applications was cleared by this initial phase’s success.
The PQE capability was added by NordVPN to its Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps in 2025, including tvOS and Android TV. PQE is now accessible on all applications that support it. Quantum-resistant algorithms are incorporated into NordLynx with the PQE upgrade. The updated protocol conforms to the most recent post-quantum encryption NIST standards. The implementation specifically adheres to post-quantum cryptography standards set forth by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the United States in August 2024. In order to provide long-term data security, NordVPN’s protocol incorporates mathematical algorithms that are thought to be safe from quantum attacks into its VPN infrastructure.
Anticipating the possible threat posed by developing quantum computer technology, the proactive action was taken. Using the ideas of quantum physics, quantum computing is a technology that can do calculations with an exponentially higher capacity than digital computers today. Even in its infancy, quantum computing has the potential to significantly outperform the fastest systems available today. Although this enormous power holds promise for industries like as space exploration and medicine (by modelling molecules to help heal diseases), it also has the potential to breach current encryption protocols.
The cybersecurity sector faces a major obstacle due to quantum computers’ higher processing capacity. According to experts, quantum computers might quickly get beyond current encryption techniques like RSA, which would take conventional computers hundreds of years to master. Governments, corporations, and individuals are all seriously threatened by such computing power.
The largest problem with quantum computers, according to experts, is that hackers are already storing encrypted data for later decoding. Cybercriminals may already be stepping up their “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, according to Marijus Briedis. In other words, they are attempting to amass vast amounts of encrypted data, which they hope to decrypt after quantum technology is perfected. Although quantum computing is still in its early stages of research, protecting sensitive data now rather than later offers a significant and essential cybersecurity improvement for both consumers and businesses.
For this reason, big IT firms, governments, and organisations like the FBI and CIA are keeping a careful eye on the technology’s advancement and are already searching for or putting into use post-quantum encryption solutions. A step towards protecting private information from quantum thieves has been taken with NordVPN’s implementation of post-quantum cryptography. NordVPN hopes to guarantee long-term security and robustness for their clients’ data by including PQE into their VPN infrastructure, both today and in the post-quantum era. Briedis describes this launch as a “major transition to new-generation encryption of all our applications, providing long-term security for our users” .
It is simple for users to enable PQE. A toggle switch located in the app’s “Settings” under “Connections” activates the capability. Once enabled, the function will start up automatically each time the user connects via the NordLynx protocol. It’s crucial to remember that PQE is turned off when utilising obfuscated servers or other protocols like OpenVPN. Additionally, the feature is incompatible with Meshnet and other similar capabilities.
Post-quantum encryption implementation is said to be a difficult and resource-intensive process. Compared to older security algorithms, updated ones usually need for significantly bigger key sizes and signatures. Increased computational cost and possible performance effects, including VPN speed and performance, may result from this, especially in high-throughput settings.
With this complete implementation, NordVPN now offers complete PQE integration, joining other well-known VPN services like Mullvad and ExpressVPN. According to reports, other providers are deployed at different phases. The deployment of NordVPN is a component of larger industry-wide initiatives to future-proof digital privacy in preparation for post-quantum dangers, sometimes known as “Q-Day” scenarios.
Concerning NORDVPN Millions of internet users worldwide trust NordVPN, which is regarded as the most cutting-edge VPN service provider in the world. The service helps to improve online privacy with zero monitoring by providing features like dedicated IP, Double VPN, and Onion Over VPN servers. Threat Protection Pro, a program that checks downloads for malware and prevents harmful websites, trackers, and advertisements, is one of NordVPN’s primary features. Saily, a global eSIM service, is the newest offering from NordVPN, a division of Nord Security. With more than 7,600 servers spread across 118 countries and some of the best prices available, NordVPN is well-known for its user-friendly design.
