IETF proponents have proposed a new working group called CURRENT to develop a protocol for key management using Messaging Layer Security (MLS) within the TLS Record protocol. The initiative aims to provide asynchronous key updates, forward secrecy, and post-quantum cryptography support for network transport.
The development of this protocol signals a shift toward more resilient encryption standards capable of handling asynchronous communication and post-quantum threats. For streaming providers, this could eventually harden the delivery pipeline against sophisticated decryption attempts while maintaining the efficiency of the TLS Record protocol for protected traffic. As the industry moves toward more fragmented and decentralized delivery, standardized MLS-based key management provides a path for secure multicast and low-latency transport. Watch for the formal chartering of the CURRENT working group and the release of new port number assignments to gauge adoption timelines.
Messaging Layer Security has been gaining institutional momentum beyond the IETF CURRENT proposal. In March 2025, the IETF published RFC 9420, which formalized MLS as a standard for secure group messaging, establishing the cryptographic primitives that CURRENT builds upon for transport-layer key management. The protocol was developed with contributions from Cisco, Wire, and Mozilla, and its ratification gives CURRENT proponents a stable foundation rather than an experimental specification. Ericsson's involvement in CURRENT aligns with its broader push into media transport security, where the company has advocated for post-quantum-ready encryption in 5G media delivery architectures as part of its research agenda for next-decade network deployments.
The IETF has proposed the CURRENT protocol, which integrates Messaging Layer Security (MLS) into the TLS Record protocol. This initiative aims to provide asynchronous key updates and post-quantum cryptography support. By replacing standard TLS handshakes, it addresses security gaps in network transport, offering a more resilient framework for future communication.
The CURRENT protocol aims to integrate Messaging Layer Security (MLS) into the TLS Record protocol to enable asynchronous key updates and improve network transport security.
Yes, the protocol is designed to support Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and forward secrecy to protect network transport against future security threats.
CURRENT requires new port numbers and replaces the standard TLS handshake process to accommodate advanced key management and asynchronous communication needs.
RFC 9420, published in March 2025, formalized Messaging Layer Security (MLS) as a standard, providing the cryptographic foundation that the CURRENT protocol builds upon.
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