As in we have entered the New year 2021 although the pandemic time is still going on but there is a relief that the vaccine is out and its dosage has been started. So we hope we all get the vaccine and we start engaging in our day to day normal life activities as it was before the COVID19 days.
It seems that Mark Zuckerberg’s security norms still needs some more modifications as its recently acquired WhatsApp the king in messenger platform has been in news due to some data leakage reasons yet again.
In the recent notification issued by WhatsApp where they have mentioned the recent update on their application which has taken the world with a storm, as it show cast the vulnerabilities it lacks.
So here at DocTooLss we compare our three Messengers which are in news and compare with eachother:
WhatsApp has kept end-to-end encryption. Plus, E2E on WhatsApp is available on every single mode of communication that the app enables such as messages, video calls, voice calls, photos, and anything else you share is E2E encrypted on WhatsApp.
What does E2E means?
E2E meaning that you and the recipient are the only people who can read the messages you send to them. WhatsApp can’t decrypt the contents of your messages, calls, photos, etc, thus ensuring your security and privacy.
“WhatsApp uses the E2E protocol developed by Open Whisper Systems, which is the name behind Signal messenger. That’s a good thing, because the Signal protocol is open source, widely peer-reviewed, and is generally considered one of the best protocols for implementing end-to-end encryption in messaging platforms.”
What is the issue with WhatsApp?
Although WhatsApp uses E2E encryption but the company does not encrypt backups (cloud and local). Also, it does not encrypt the metadata which is used to carry communication between two endpoints. This is one of the major criticisms of WhatsApp’s security model. While metadata does not allow anyone to read your messages but it lets authorities to know whom and when you messaged someone, and what was the duration for it.
What is Metadata?
Metadata is “data that provides information about other data” such as author, date created, date modified and file size, video logs , call logs , chat history etc.
TELEGRAM
Incase of Telegram which does offer some protections to its users but however, there are some multiple pain points in the way Telegram encrypts your messages and other information.
Such as Telegram supports E2E encryption, but it’s not enabled by default and enabling it is not a cake walk as the only way to use E2E encryption on Telegram is by its secret chats feature.
The regular chats happening on Telegram are not E2E encrypted but messages sent in a secret chats are E2E encrypted. This means that the messages are encrypted on your device and but they are decrypted on Telegram’s server.
Note: So all the powers remains with Telegram that has the encryption keys on the server-side and can, in theory, access your normal chats.
SIGNAL
Signal uses the open-source Signal Protocol to implement end-to-end encryption. And just like WhatsApp, the E2E encryption covers all forms of communication on Signal.
Why to choose Signal over WhatsApp and Telegram?
Signal has an edge over the both as WhatsApp which encrypts all the messages and calls (and that’s enough for most users), but Signal goes one step further and encrypts the metadata too.
What are the additional Security with Signal?
There are some incredible amazing privacy features with Signal that is going to make your messaging experience even more private and secure. Such as one can lock Signal with a passcode or biometrics. There is 2FA (Two-factor Authentication) and an option to block screenshots within the app and the recent screen.
IMPORTANT: Not even that recently Signal has added a new feature to blur faces automatically before sending images. which is one of the USPs for Signal Messenger application.
Wait we are not done, Signal by default encrypts all the local files with a 4-digit passphrase. And if you want to create an encrypted local backup then you can do that as well. The app now also supports encrypted group calls .
So if you have read our complete blog, you are able to understand that how Signal is cut above WhatsApp and Telegram.
Although WhatsApp is loaded with lot many features and to us messaging means WhatsApp and its a part of our lifeline today even from Generation Z to Baby Boomers all are on WhatsApp. So it will take lot of time to move out of WhatsApp to Signal and till that time WhatsApp would have rectified its issues and load up with many more goodies so lets hope for the best and leave the rest .
Source: https://bit.ly/3bJzxmR
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Great Article Anirudh. Very informative.