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HN · EncryptionCurated

WhatsApp fully enables Signal encryption

Summary

Open Whisper Systems integrates the Signal Protocol into WhatsApp for messages, groups, attachments and calls. The integration was completed in April 2016. At the time WhatsApp had more than a billion users.

Ideas

  • End-to-end encryption protects content between devices.
  • Perfect forward secrecy limits the damage of keys compromised later.
  • Security numbers make it possible to verify the person you are talking to.
  • Key changes become visible when devices change.

Insights

  • Large reach makes secure defaults more effective than optional features.
  • Content encryption does not protect all communication metadata.
  • User-friendly key verification remains a difficult design task.

Facts

  • The Signal Protocol is publicly documented.

Recommendations

  • Verify security numbers for particularly sensitive conversations.
  • Additionally protect device backups and the lock screen.

References

Read the original article

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