Cloudflare to offer free security certificates that resist quantum computers

On Tuesday, Cloudflare announced its intention to become a public certificate authority capable of issuing quantum-resistant TLS certificates. To facilitate this transition, the internet infrastructure provider is acquiring an established certificate root from CA GlobalSign. The company plans to utilize an open-source platform to distribute hybrid Merkle Tree Certificates, which combine traditional encryption with post-quantum security. These new certificates will be provided at no additional cost to both free and premium users.

This initiative represents a significant shift in the WebPKI landscape, aiming to protect website authentication and encryption against future quantum computing threats. By offering these hybrid certificates, Cloudflare intends to allow millions of websites to upgrade their security protocols seamlessly without sacrificing performance. For technical teams, this development necessitates a closer evaluation of implementation costs, system reliability, and potential service disruptions as the industry moves toward a more secure cryptographic standard.