July 08, 2020
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12Is WhatsApp Safe and Secure?
When you’re looking into starting to use a new messenger app for your smartphone, you want to know how safe and secure it is before you commit to downloading and installing it. If you’re curious about whether WhatsApp is safe and secure, you’re in the right place.
Did you hear about the Signal messenger case? Currently, the security of Signal is under threat. If you use it daily, read the article Signal PINs: Is Secure Messaging at Risk?
Recently, WhatsApp introduced end-to-end data encryption. Now each user has a private encryption key that changes each time the user sends a message. A second encryption key is sent to the recipient so that they are the only one who can access the message.
The developers claim that even they do not have access to the content of user messages. This includes state and commercial organizations as well.
But is WhatsApp as safe and secure as the developers claim? Could the messenger’s security system protect you from The Biggest Data Privacy Risks?
But is WhatsApp as safe and secure as the developers claim? Let’s go over it together.
The core concept of WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a communication tool that’s very popular in many countries around the world, with over 1.5 billion total users. It allows users to send text and voice messages from their mobile phone or computer for free.
WhatsApp has the following features:
- Sending and receiving text messages
- Sending and receiving voice messages
- Ability to make video calls
- Sending media files
- Full range of stickers and emoticons
- Built-in secret chats
It looks good from the functional side, but what about from the privacy side?
First, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption means that all messages, videos, photos, documents, and locations that users share on WhatsApp are converted to a series of codes to prevent unauthorized access. So, no one but the users themselves can access their data.
Second, the messenger allows you to conceal your profile and status from other users. The privacy settings allow you to wholly or partially hide information about yourself, such as your photo or bio, from specific users. In addition, users can also hide their online status in the app, so that other users will not know when they are online. For this, you need to open the settings and configure the necessary parameters.
Finally, the app has a feature to block unwanted contacts. After blocking someone, that user can’t view your profile or see any of your status updates. Nor can they send text and voice messages or make video calls.
Is WhatsApp safe and secure?
Is WhatsApp safe? Recently, The Guardian published an article that discussed a backdoor to the end-to-end encryption used by WhatsApp. According to the report, the government could use this messenger to spy on users. However, later investigation by a group of technical experts concluded that the article had overstated the risks.
Nevertheless, there are still drawbacks to the encryption and data protection system. For instance, if you use WhatsApp while connected to public Wi-Fi, the chances of being hacked by third parties are higher than on a private network.
There are often cases of “man-in-the-middle” attacks. It works like this: a hacker connects to the transferring process of data between users and then simply copies it. That doesn’t sound very nice, because such an attack could cost a reputation or big money if the hacker wants to exchange the copied files for cash.
You can read more information about such hacker attacks in the article 6 Common Types Of Cyber Threats and be ready to protect yourself against criminals.
Is WhatsApp secure? We should note that WhatsApp is the creation of Facebook. There have been many times when we’ve read news about international scandals connected with Facebook insecurity. These are cases where Facebook has provided users’ data to third parties, including states, commercial agencies, and big corporations. Of course, sharing this data without specific permission is supposed to be against the law. Still, Facebook has got away with it and made good money from it, too.
Read The Social Media Giants Age: How Your Data Makes Them Money and finally wake up and smell the coffee.
Is it worth trying or not?
Undoubtedly, WhatsApp is one of the most popular messengers, which is suitable for daily use. As a rule, the system works well with very few bugs. Moreover, it easily copes with its main task – the sending and receiving of text and voice messages.
However, keep in mind that this messenger may be unsuitable for transmitting confidential files and documents since there are potential risks to the security system.
In addition, you need to remember who owns this app. We’ve already mentioned their close relationship with the government and commercial organizations. Therefore, if you want to be sure your data will not be shared through some kind of back-door access (which violates the law on data privacy and can be considered an invasion of privacy), you are better off using a fully secure means of communication.
WhatsApp alternative
You probably know other popular messengers like Telegram, Signal, Line, etc. You may have even used them for a while. However, something made you stop doing this and start looking for other, more reliable messengers.
Let me guess, is this a security issue?
We don’t need to be psychic to understand that many people have concerns about the reliability and security of popular messengers. As a rule, they are made for mass consumption, and developers neglect various vulnerabilities of their data encryption methods.
What is the next step? Take our advice: give some attention to the less popular instant messengers. For example, Utopia. This is not just a messenger, but a whole closed ecosystem that includes a built-in browser, email, messenger, crypto wallet, and much more.
Why should you start to implement a decentralized network? Read about the main reasons in the article The Story Behind: The Clear Advantages of Decentralization.
Five years went into the development process of Utopia. During that period, developers were able to implement and improve the end-to-end encryption method in the ecosystem. Now, it is based on Elliptic Core and 256-bit AES.
Importantly, the registration process in the ecosystem is anonymous. You don’t need to enter your personal data. Instead, Utopia generated a private key that opens access to the system.
What about a storage server? Utopia creates a single one for each user. Now, a user is both a server and a client. This method of data storage minimizes cyber threats.
Verdict
Don’t put your data at risk and choose wisely!
Hi! I have been using whatsapp for several years and I didn’t even think that it was so insecure. I’ll definitely change the messenger. However, maybe, is whatsapp video call safe and secure? I like the quality of whatsapp video calls so much. It will be difficult to get used to the other:(
Good afternoon, Emily! When writing this article, we were also surprised by the data that we could find out. It is unthinkable that we’ve used this insecure app for so many years. Unfortunately, technical holes also apply to video calls. WhatsApp video calls are one of the most insecure, as they don’t use reliable encryption.
Good job! Thank you for revealing such an interesting question. However, I have a question. Do you think the owners of the company really cooperate with the state and various advertising agencies? It’s very reckless.
Hello, Pretty! Thank you for your support. We try to do our best for all those who are not indifferent to data security on the internet. From open sources, it can be argued that the company Facebook (which owns WhatsApp) has been at the center of scandals about cooperation with government agencies many times. Therefore, such information is correct.
Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I will send this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a very good read. Thank you for sharing!
Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I will send this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a very good read. Thank you for sharing!
Good article! Thanks a lot. Whatsapp for me, is half of life. I remember the time when it has appeared. Everyone started using it and admiring how convenient to communicate from anywhere in the world. Today, the situation has changed. My friends have thought about changing the messenger for a long time. I often search for the latest news on the topic is whatsapp safe. Today, I’ve been reading your article and realized that I need to choose something else.
Good afternoon, Vik! Thank you for your support. We are happy to help you make the right decision. If you haven’t decided which service to choose yet, pay attention to Utopia. It is a decentralized and anonymous ecosystem with built-in instant messenger, encrypted mail, and more. We’ve written about its advantages in the article.
Thank you! You gave a clear answer to the question: is whatsapp safe secure and free. For some reason, many of us believe that a popular app means a good and secure app. However, this is not entirely true. Such applications have many tech holes, like the encryption method that Whatsapp uses.
Hello, Uggy. Thank you for your feedback. You’re right. Popularity doesn’t mean security. Moreover, over time, many good applications become outdated and require improvement and updating.
In the article, you didn’t answer the question — is whatsapp safe and secure when using your phone number? We know that today there are messengers that do not link an account to a specific phone number. However, this function is convenient: all the necessary numbers will automatically be added to the contact list.
Hi, Fred! Applications that require the connection of a mobile phone are already a priori not secure. Firstly, they have access to your contacts, and therefore to all your data. Secondly, they have data about your identity and the actions you perform on the Internet. Therefore, it is better to use applications that do not require you to enter your phone number to register. There are several alternative services in this article.