Zoom has announced that it is introducing post-quantum end-to-end encryption to Zoom Meetings within its Workplace platform.
While end-to-end encryption has been present in Zoom meetings since 2020, post-quantum E2E adds an extra layer of security safeguarding against potential bad actors as their own technology becomes ever more advanced. In the process, Zoom says it is the first UCaaS company to offer a post-quantum E2EE solution for video conferencing.
"Since we launched end-to-end encryption for Zoom Meetings in 2020 and Zoom Phone in 2022, we have seen customers increasingly use the feature, which demonstrates how important it is for us to offer our customers a secure platform that meets their unique needs," said Michael Adams, Chief Information Security Officer at Zoom.
With the launch of post-quantum E2EE, we are doubling down on security and providing leading-edge features for users to help protect their data. At Zoom, we continuously adapt as the security threat landscape evolves, with the goal of keeping our users protected.”
Zoom says the solution originated in adversarial threats becoming more sophisticated. In certain scenarios, attackers might capture encrypted network traffic now, intending to decrypt it later when advanced quantum computers become available—a situation known as “harvest now, decrypt later”.
Although such powerful quantum computers are not yet generally available, Zoom affirms it has proactively upgraded its encryption algorithms to withstand these potential future threats.
While currently only available for Zoom Meetings, Zoom says post-quantum E2E encryption will be introduced to Zoom Phone and Zoom Rooms "soon".
More Specifics On How Post-Quantum E2E Encryption Works
When users enable End-to-End Encryption for their meetings in the Zoom Web Portal, Zoom says its system ensures that only the participants have access to the encryption keys, both for post-quantum E2EE and standard E2EE. Since Zoom's servers do not have the decryption keys, any encrypted data relayed through them remains indecipherable.
