He end-to-end encryption was activated on WhatsApp in 2016 to encrypt messages. This means that when a message, photo, video or voice memo is sent, it will only be decrypted when it reaches the recipient. Not even WhatApp will be able to see its content.
Everything arose in 20211 when it was known that WhatsApp had vulnerability problems when sending messages and made the cyber attack or information hijacking. Although the company did an update, messages were still being sent without encryption.
What is “encryption”?
It is a procedure that uses an algorithm to convert messages into keys. In this way they become incomprehensible to all those who do not have the secret key of the algorithm. It works like a secret or encrypted message.
What users asked WhatsApp was that, when their messages were sent, the algorithm converts them into encryption so that they could only be read once they arrived at the reception. In this way, there will be no inconveniences in the shipping process.
More problems: lack of privacy
In 2012, it was known that the WhatsAppStatus.net website allows changing the WhatsApp status of any user and this demonstrated the the company’s security deficiency. In addition, instead of solving the problem from the application, the WhatsApp engineers limited themselves to blocking the IP address of the web page so that no one would use it.
Subsequently, they made a change: they stopped using plain text and started encrypting messages, but reports from security experts claimed that it was not secure enough. According to Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which analyzes security parameters, in 2014 WhatsApp meets only 2 out of 7 conditions for secure encryption.
End-to-end encryption
In 2014, WhatsApp decided to silence the criticism and to create 100% secure encryption they asked Open Whisper Systems, a company responsible for other products such as Signal, an instant messaging application, and Redphone, Android phone calls.
Finally, in 2016 the arrival of end-to-end encryption was announced: this meant that when a message is sent, no one will be able to read until it reaches the receiver. One of the most outstanding aspects of this type of encryption is the key to read the message is stored inside the smartphone of each user, so that only he can read it when it arrives.
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