2025-10-08 –, Krakow/ Business Value & Enterprise Adoption
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 shipped with OpenSSL 3.2 and supports hybrid
post-quantum key exchange in TLS and ML-DSA signatures. CentOS 10 Stream, which
will become RHEL 10.1, has already upgraded to OpenSSL 3.5.
Learn how OpenSSL 3's provider architecture allowed Red Hat to bring
post-quantum cryptography to its operating system quickly and migrate to
OpenSSL's own implementation later on. I'll discuss the problems we found along
the way and the use cases OpenSSL's support for post-quantum cryptography
unlocks for us.
Various governments around the world are starting to
publish guidelines on migration to post-quantum cryptography to defend against
harvest now, decrypt later or other attacks with quantum computers. Some of
those recommend transitioning now or in the near future.
OpenSSL's providers enabled us to include a Technology Preview based on the
Open Quantum Safe oqsprovider with a somewhat smooth upgrade path to OpenSSL
3.5's own implementation. With a little bit of configuration file magic, and
a mechanism to enable or disable PQC system-wide, the move is as easy for users
as it can be.
The availability of PQC in OpenSSL is also a prerequisite for other
post-quantum milestones in the RHEL roadmap, such as PQC in FIPS mode, PQC key
exchange in OpenSSH, or PQC signatures over RPM packages. Additionally, with
the pkcs11-provider and the upcoming PKCS#11 3.2 specification, OpenSSL can use
PQC from hardware tokens and hardware security modules.
Clemens is the Product Owner of the Red Hat Enterprise Crypto Team and currently focusing on the transition to post-quantum cyrptography. He's been working for Red Hat since 2022. Prior to his work at Red Hat, he took care of open source packaging, over-the-air updates and security of infotainment systems at BMW. Clemens has also contributed to the MacPorts project since Google Summer of Code 2011.