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Proton Mail Offers Post-Quantum Email Encryption to All Users

The opt-in upgrade aims to blunt efforts to stockpile encrypted emails for decryption once quantum computers mature.

Overview

  • Proton Mail introduced optional post-quantum protection for every account, including free users, with immediate availability.
  • After users enable the feature, Proton generates new quantum‑resistant keys for future encrypted emails, leaving existing messages as they are for now.
  • The rollout adds OpenPGP v6 support to enable modern algorithms while keeping current RSA and elliptic-curve encryption in place.
  • Proton says it is working with the open email ecosystem, including Thunderbird, to make quantum‑safe email work across providers.
  • Users need up-to-date Proton apps to use the new keys, and enabling the feature pauses encrypted forwarding and may cause a small performance hit.