
BlackBerry announces a new quantum-resistant code signing service - HBlix
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/04/blackberry-races-ahead-of-security-curve-with-quantum-resistant-solution/
======
CiPHPerCoder
> The solution, which will be available next month, is actually the product of
> a partnership between BlackBerry and Isara Corporation, a company whose
> mission is to build quantum-safe security solutions. BlackBerry is using
> Isara’s cryptographic libraries to help sign and protect code as security
> evolves.

That is extremely unhelpful, Tech Crunch.

Let's take a look at what Isara is researching.

[https://www.isara.com/research-publications/](https://www.isara.com/research-
publications/)

[https://www.isara.com/qtesla/](https://www.isara.com/qtesla/)

[https://www.isara.com/qc-mdpc-kem/](https://www.isara.com/qc-mdpc-kem/)

Okay, so the article is specifically talking about digital signatures, so
they're almost certainly implementing qTESLA (or a Blackberry-specific variant
thereof), which is a lattice-based signature algorithm.

[https://qtesla.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/08/qTESLA_v2.2_08...](https://qtesla.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/08/qTESLA_v2.2_08.27.2018.pdf)

[https://github.com/qtesla/qTesla](https://github.com/qtesla/qTesla)

If this does turn out that they're implementing qTESLA (which is committed to
the public domain), the headline "races ahead of security surve" will prove to
be needlessly sensationalist.

------
rictic
My first reaction was "why is this news, isn't elliptic curve crypto widely
deployed and quantum resistant?"

It looks like the story is more complicated (and most ECC algorithms are not
quantum resistant): [https://crypto.stackexchange.com/questions/35482/which-
ellip...](https://crypto.stackexchange.com/questions/35482/which-elliptic-
curves-are-quantum-resistant)

~~~
olliej
More generally anything based on the discrete logarithm problem (so both rsa
and ecc) are not quantum resistance.

As explained to me by an actual maths guy the basic issue is that DLP is
heavily biased across its key space. Shor’s algorithm leverages this by doing
a Fourier transform that gets the incorrect values to cancel out. The quantum
resistant algorithms work by creating an unbiased key space so there’s no
ability to cancel out the incorrect answers without also cancelling out the
correct ones. In theory anyway. The mailing list seems to consist mostly of
people posting flaws in their own systems and/or each other’s.

~~~
raoulj
What mailing list? Would be interested to join!

~~~
olliej
pgc-forum, theoretically here:
[https://groups.google.com/a/list.nist.gov/forum/#!forum/pqc-...](https://groups.google.com/a/list.nist.gov/forum/#!forum/pqc-
forum)

------
capnprotonmail
The Blackberry founder Mike Lazaridis is a physicist and huge proponent of
quantum computing, he funded among other things the "quantum valley" in
Canada.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Lazaridis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Lazaridis)

So no surprise they take quantum seriously ;)

------
joe_the_user
Quantum sounds cool but what big potential application can people point to
other than crypto?

And if quantum resistant crypto is in place by the time serious quantum
computing is in place, I assume the main application of quantum will be to
read all stored, previously encrypted secrets out there.

~~~
gpm
I've been told quantum chemistry and physics simulation. For example drug
discovery via simulation.

------
smaili
I'll be honest, my knee-jerk reaction was "BlackBerry is still in business?".
Anyone on HN own one or know of someone who does? I can't recall the last time
I walked into a store who actually carried BB products on their shelves.

~~~
da_murvel
I own a KeyOne, released last year with Android instead of BB's own OS. I love
it, only downside is that I had to import it as it isn't available in my
country ... I'd mainly used Samsung flagship phones before and got really
tired of all the bloatware as well as typing on a touchscreen. (Can't believe
more people are questioning touchscreen typing on phones, I think it's
horrible and I don't have the largest set of fingers in the world.) I bought
it for roughly $500 and this is what I make of it after one year of using it:

The camera on my KeyOne is superior to anything I've tried before, I'd even go
as far as saying that it's up there and competing with the giants. The Sony Z2
Compact camera is a potato in comparison. The keyboard feels a bit cheap and
some keys make a squeeking noise, but it's still better than touchscreen
typing by far. I've dropped the phone on a number of occassions, it hasn't
broken once. The backside tend to pop out, but it's easy to put it back in
place again. My biggest complain about the hardware would be the screen, as I
haven't access to any protective accessories my screen is pretty scratched by
now. It doesn't affect what's displayed on the screen (yet) however, but yeah,
I think it scratch too easily. Like I said, the OS is Android, and it's been
fairly problem free for being Android. However, lately it has been a bit too
agressive in shutting down apps in the background. But I don't know if that is
BB's own build's fault or Android in general. There are some pre-installed
"security" apps which gives the feeling of the phone being more secure than
your other average Android phone. I don't use them though.

My over all impression of the KeyOne is 8 out of 10 I'd say, and I think I'll
keep it until it literally fall apart.

~~~
captn3m0
How's the update cycle like?

~~~
walterbell
Monthly or faster (if BB issues an out of band fix).

KEY2 is available in the US.

~~~
mdm_
I just upgraded from a KeyOne to a Key2 and it's better in just about every
way. Twice the storage and RAM, faster CPU, dual camera, more spacious
keyboard, cleaner design, more solid construction, and the fingerprint sensor
is faster and works better with sweaty fingers (i.e. while running/exercising)
than my work-issued iPhone 7.

------
mtgx
It may be quantum-resistant, but it won't be _law enforcement-resistant_ ,
knowing BlackBerry's track record and public statements on the issue.

~~~
amaccuish
If you don't mind me asking, what track record is that? A quick googling only
revealed them giving access to their consumer messaging service.

~~~
npongratz
[https://www.tomsguide.com/us/BlackBerry-Saudi-Arabia-
Lebanon...](https://www.tomsguide.com/us/BlackBerry-Saudi-Arabia-Lebanon-
United-Arab-Emirates-research-in-motion,news-7747.html)

~~~
amaccuish
Ahh so the BBM stuff. AFAIK they never sold out their enterprise customers.

------
rocqua
Last time I read about quantum resistant crypto was regarding the NSA's call
for papers. As I recall many of the used cryptosystems were broken by
conventional computing within like a month.

My point being, what reason do we have to believe these are safe
cryptosystems.

~~~
CiPHPerCoder
There was a talk at 34C3 which covered these attacks pretty well (although
those breaks were not the primary aim of the talk):

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCsvBFFLsqE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCsvBFFLsqE)

[https://latticehacks.cr.yp.to/](https://latticehacks.cr.yp.to/)

------
SubiculumCode
Well, as long as the hardware does not source their parts from SuperMicro
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-10-04/the-
big-h...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-10-04/the-big-hack-how-
china-used-a-tiny-chip-to-infiltrate-america-s-top-companies)

