WhatsApp now entirely end-to-end encrypted
WhatsApp has fully implemented it's iron-clad end-to-end encryption across all its platforms and media
THE largest data breach in history this week has turned all eyes back to secure communication lines and encryption after messaging giant WhatsApp announced it has fully implemented it’s iron-clad end-to-end encryption across all its platforms and media.
Scrambling the data of photos, videos, group chats, voice calls and text messages, users of the Facebook-owned messaging service will have all of their communications and media automatically encrypted with the latest update.
The latest security push has further integrated the Open Whisper Systems Signa, meaning the content of all communication on the app will not be stored in plaintext on the company’s servers, nor can WhatsApp access or de-crypt any of the data.
The protocol scrambles the communication and does not allow WhatsApp access to the encryption keys, meaning it cannot be compelled to hand over data, even if demanded to by authorities.
WhatsApp upgrade
WhatsApp has warned users must download the latest upgrade to fully secure their communications. As a result there will still be some plaintext on the network.
To bridge the transition, the client will now notify users whether the person they are chatting to has the latest encryption installed.
‘Once a client recognises a contact as being fully e2e capable, it will not permit transmitting plaintext to that contact, even if that contact were to downgrade to a version of the software that is not fully e2e capable,’ reads the announcement published earlier this week.
‘This prevents the server or a network attacker from being able to perform a downgrade attack.’
WhatsApp now also enables users to verify the identity of the person they are chatting with to eradicate third person imposters. Users can now validate identities via a QR code or a request to read a number string aloud.
Information courtesy of Financial Review and video via News24.
