At a time when there is a growing concern over the security of users' private data, and it being available for government agencies and hackers, WhatsApp, arguably the most popular instant messaging service, has added a new feature.
The messaging service just went full end-to-end encrypted. This means that from now on all your texts, files, videos and calls made on WhatsApp will be completely safe, not accessible to any third-party, including WhatsApp itself.
The feature will be available for users across platforms, including iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows and Nokia
WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum announced the update on his Facebook page, stating that the company had been working on the feature for the last two years.
What is end-to-end encryption?
End-to-end encryption is a secure method of communication where only the people communicating can access messages sent, making your private data secure from hackers and security agencies.
What did WhatsApp do?
WhatsApp is using “The Signal Protocol”, designed by Open Whisper Systems, for its encryption. The new feature is enabled by default on WhatsApp, which means that if you have the latest version of the app, all chats will be end-to-end encrypted. But as of now, users don’t have the option of switching off end-to-end encryption.
Is WhatsApp encryption something new?
Yes and no. WhatsApp had switched to partial encryption since November 2014, but that was only for text messages. With the latest addition, WhatsApp has gone full encrypted.
What does this mean for the end user?
In simple terms, your communication just got a lot more secure. But is this fool-proof? Not exactly, if some security agency wants to access your information, they can, technically, still work around it, just like in the case of the iPhone that belonged to the San Bernadino shooter. WhatsApp just made the whole process a bit more difficult for them.
Verifying if someone is spying on the conversation!
The latest version of this popular messenger has an option of verifying the keys of users with whom the chat is on. This ensures that there is no man-in-the-middle attack. You can verify this Whatsapp key by scanning a QR code or by going to ‘verify security code’ option and comparing the 60 digit number.
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