If you use WhatsApp messenger on your phone, you should have encountered a notice that said, “Messages to this chat and calls are now secured with end-to-end encryption…” at some time when talking with your pals. This page will explain how this feature performs.
End-to-end encryption (abbreviated E2EE or Secret Chat) is a security method used in communication systems that prevents anybody other than the conversing users from reading the texts, messages, videos, or pictures. Everyone is concerned about maintaining their privacy. As a result, you should only utilize applications that have end-to-end encryption enabled by default.
How end-to-end encryption works
The end-to-end encryption system is based on a key exchange and employs the following:
- a string of symbols that have been pre-classified and are called “pre-shared secrets” (PGP);
- or a unique secret deriving from a previously shared secret (DUKPT);
- or a secret key that is generated on the fly via the Diffie-Hellman key exchange (OTR).
It’s pretty straightforward.
When user A sends a message, the system guarantees that it is first transformed by the original sender into a secret message or secret code that resembles a request. Only the intended ultimate recipient can decode the communication. When user B responds to this request, a private conversation is established in which only both clients may decode or unlock the messages.
The people talking in the chat are the only ones who have the key to unlocking the messages that circulate between them.
The pursuit of privacy has spawned an entire generation of applications, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, that incorporate this encryption mechanism into their operations (Derek, 2016). With Telegram, you can communicate with people or establish groups with an infinite number of members without having to deal with the trolls that plague social media platforms like Facebook. With WhatsApp, you will be given a security verification code that you may exchange with your contact to verify that your chat is encrypted.
Benefits of end-to-end encryption
End-to-end encryption is enabled by default in Whatsapp and Telegram, as well as many other applications in this category, if both parties are running the most recent versions of the apps, so there is no need to be a computer geek to enable any special settings.
Data theft, metadata, digital eavesdropping, surveillance, and digital spying have become a cause of worry for internet users due to their implications for our online privacy. To the public’s relief, app developers are coming to the defense of the average internet user, developing tools that reclaim our ability to select how much of what we share online gets scooped up by governments and profit-driven corporations.
End-to-end encryption ensures that cybercriminals, law enforcement agencies, and even app developers cannot see what we share. End-to-end encryption is a much safer method of communication since it significantly lowers the number of potential interferers.
“People deserve security,” said Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp. We’re delighted to contribute to keeping people’s information safe from hackers and cyber-criminals.” (Technology, 2016).