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Why can I not migrate a credential I issued last year to quantum-safe signatures?

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Möglichkeit

NIST finalized ML-DSA and ML-KEM in 2024, giving new systems a clear cryptographic target, but every verifiable credential already in circulation is signed with ECDSA or EdDSA. There is no technical path to upgrade an issued credential to a new signature scheme without revoking and reissuing it, which requires simultaneously coordinating every issuer and every holder. Long-lived credentials in government, healthcare, and education are precisely the documents an adversary archives today to decrypt when quantum capability matures. On top of the key-migration problem, ML-DSA signatures are roughly five times larger than Ed25519, which breaks the compact presentation formats that selective-disclosure implementations currently depend on. The cryptography has a standardized roadmap; the credential lifecycle does not.

Warum es wichtig ist

Without a migration path for already-issued credentials, the post-quantum transition will force simultaneous mass-reissuance crises at governments and health systems worldwide.

Wie ich die Chance bewerte

Der Opportunity Score ist meine persönliche Einschätzung, keine Messung: wie stark es schmerzt, wie oft es auftritt und wie wenig heute existiert, um es zu lösen. Ein höherer Wert bedeutet, dass ich es für lohnender halte, es umzusetzen.

Schweregrad8/10

Wie viel Schmerz es verursacht, wenn es auftritt.

Häufigkeit6/10

Wie oft Menschen tatsächlich darauf stoßen.

Whitespace8/10

Wie wenig gute Werkzeuge dafür heute existieren.

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