How to remove encryption on whatsapp


3 Methods to Read Encrypted WhatsApp Messages

In this digital age, the security and privacy of information have become a considerable concern. To ensure full security for the people, WhatsApp has introduced end-to-end encryption. This feature depicts that all your messages and conversations with other individuals are fully secured and encrypted.

Through WhatsApp end-to-end encryption, only you and the receiver can read your messages. However, if you face an unidentified issue where you cannot read encrypted messages, this article will address how to read encrypted WhatsApp messages.

Part 1: What are Encrypted WhatsApp Messages?

Security of the user's data has always been a concern for all tech giant companies. One such most widely used platform is WhatsApp which has more than a billion users. To ensure the privacy and safety of the data of billions of users, WhatsApp relies on its end-to-end encryption feature.

Governmental authorities, agencies, cyber companies, and hackers cannot access your encrypted messages through WhatsApp encryption. It reflects that only the sender and receiver of the particular message can read and access it. This encryption uses an algorithm through which the message remains in its original state on the host and receiver's devices. Due to this security protocol, not even WhatsApp can reach encrypted messages.

Moreover, WhatsApp end-to-end encryption automatically works as a default function. So, any WhatsApp user can utilize this feature to ensure complete security and safety of their information.

Method 1: Read Encrypted WhatsApp Messages on WhatsApp Web

To read WhatsApp encrypted messages, you can navigate to the WhatsApp Web and log in to your account. You can easily access all your encrypted messages and read them without interruption through WhatsApp Web. To use WhatsApp web, you need to scan the QR code from your mobile to log into your account.

Moreover, WhatsApp has recently launched a Beta version through which you can access all the encrypted messages on WhatsApp Web without an internet connection connected to your phone. Therefore, you don't need to be online on WhatsApp from your phone and can still use WhatsApp Web easily. So, even if your smartphone has not been connected to an internet connection, you can still read all the encrypted messages on WhatsApp Web.

Method 2: Read Encrypted WhatsApp Messages by Recovering WhatsApp Data

If you want to recover WhatsApp data for reading WhatsApp encrypted messages on your Android phones, this section will provide you with an excellent tool. Wondershare MobileTrans is a powerful tool that can instantly back up and restore your WhatsApp data.

MobileTrans is not only capable of backing up WhatsApp messages but can also recover photos, videos, contacts, and other files. After retrieving your encrypted messages from this tool, you can comfortably read them without interruption.

Here is a video for you to learn how to backup with MobileTrans:

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To read WhatsApp encrypted messages using MobileTrans on your Android device, here are the steps:

Step 1: Attach your Mobile with Computer

Run MobileTrans on your system and attach your phone to the computer. Once done, proceed to the “Backup and Restore” option and then choose “Deleted WhatsApp Data Restore." Now, click on the “Restore” button to initiate the process.

Step 2: Disable Auto-Backup Feature

Now, head to your mobile and open your WhatsApp. Next, go to the “Settings” and tap on "Chats." From there, select "Chats Backup” and turn off the auto-backup option. Once done, tap on the “Restore” button.

Step 3: Install WhatsApp on Device

Now, from USB, install WhatsApp on your mobile device. After the installation, allow and give access to WhatsApp to your photos, contacts, and files.

Step 4: Recover WhatsApp Encrypted Data

Log into your WhatsApp account and tap on the “Next” button to restore backup files. Now you can view all the deleted WhatsApp messages. You can also choose the messages you want to recover and restore to your device to read them easily.

Method 3: Read Encrypted WhatsApp Messages via PC

You can read your encrypted WhatsApp messages by decrypting them on a PC in this method. The only condition for this method is to have a rooted Android device. Follow the below instructions to perform the steps instantly:

Step 1: To start, go to your mobile's "File Manage" internal memory and click on "WhatsApp." Tap on "Database" and locate the backup file of your WhatsApp messages, mgstore.db.cryt14.

Step 2: Now, find the Key file that will include the decryption key for the decryption purposes of the encrypted file. The destination for the Key file is “/data/data/com.whatsapp/files/key.” Once done, attach your phone to your computer and copy the database file called mgstore.db.cryt14 along with the Key file.

Step 3: Install WhatsApp Viewer on your system and open its main interface. Go to the “File” button and select “Decrypt. crypt14.”

Step 4: A small window will pop up where you have to upload your database and Key file. Tap on the “Three-dot” icon and upload the database and Key file. Once done, tap on the “OK” button to initiate the decrypt process of the database file.

Step 5: Once the decryption is completed, you will receive a notification saying, "Database decrypted to file mgstore.decrypted.db.” You can find the “msgstore.decrypted.db" file in the same folder where you have saved the database and Key file.

Step 6: Head back to the WhatsApp Viewer, go to the "File" button, and tap on “Open." Now click on the "Three-dot" icon to upload the “mgstore.decrypted.db” file. Once imported, tap on the “OK” button.

Step 7: On your screen, you can choose the phone number from the left side and can explore the chats on the right side. You can also export this file in various formats such as Text, JSON, and HTML.

Part 2: FAQs about Encrypted WhatsApp Messages

1. Can you decrypt WhatsApp messages?

Yes, it's possible to decrypt the WhatsApp messages. For this, you would need special tools or software to decrypt the encrypted WhatsApp messages. If you have easy access to the target's phone, the process can become simple and fast. However, the process can become complex without access to the target's phone.

2. Can WhatsApp encryption be hacked?

The end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp messages is a great measure to keep your data and information secured. However, these security measures still have minor lacks that can result in the hacking of encrypted data.

3. Where is the WhatsApp encryption key stored?

To find your WhatsApp encrypted key, go to the “Data” folder on your Android phone. Select “Data” and then click on “com.Whatsapp." Now tap on "Files," where you can find the "Key" for the decryption.

Conclusion

Data security and safety should be the most priority of every platform and tech company. WhatsApp end-to-end encryption is a great initiative to tackle security and privacy concerns. This encryption has enabled the users to comfortably send and receive their messages without worrying about security issues. This article has shed light on how to read encrypted WhatsApp messages from different methods for users' convenience. Also, we have suggested an excellent tool to recover and read your deleted WhatsApp data effortlessly.

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How to End-to-End Encrypt Your WhatsApp Chat Backups in iCloud

WhatsApp end-to-end encrypted backups are now rolling out for iPhone users, Facebook has announced. Until now, WhatsApp let users back up their chat history to ‌‌iCloud‌‌, but the messages and media contained in the backups weren't protected by WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption while in ‌‌Apple's cloud servers‌.


End-to-end encryption ensures only you and the person you're communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp, can gain access to this content. With the advent of end-to-end encrypted backup, you can now also add the same layer of protection to your ‌iCloud‌ backup.

That's important from a security perspective. Given that Apple holds the encryption keys for ‌‌iCloud‌‌, a subpoena of Apple or an unauthorized ‌‌iCloud‌‌ hack could potentially allow access to WhatsApp messages backed up there. That security vulnerability has now been resolved because you can encrypt and password-protect your chat history before uploading it to Apple's cloud-based platform.

The following steps show you how. Note: If you don't see the encrypted backup option, sit tight – the feature is being rolled out to more than 2 billion users.

  1. Launch WhatsApp on your ‌iPhone‌.
  2. Tap the Settings tab in the bottom right corner of the screen.
  3. Tap Chats.
  4. Tap Chat Backup.

  5. Tap End-to-end Encrypted Backup.
  6. Tap Continue, then follow the prompts to create a password or key.
  7. Tap Done, and wait for your end-to-end encrypted backup to be prepared. You might need to connect your ‌iPhone‌ to a power source.

Bear in mind that you won't be able to restore your backup if you lose your WhatsApp chats and forget your password or key. WhatsApp can't reset your password or restore your backup for you.

It's also worth noting that if you have ‌iCloud‌ Backups turned on for your entire ‌iPhone‌, an unencrypted version of your chat history is also backed up to ‌iCloud‌. To ensure your WhatsApp chats and media are only backed up with end-to-end encryption, turn ‌iCloud‌ Backup off on your device. You can do this in the Settings app by tapping your Apple ID banner at the top, selecting iCloud, and turning off iCloud Backup.

Tag: WhatsApp

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How to remove end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp?

WhatsApp encryption

Contents

  • 1 WhatsApp encryption
    • 1.1 What is end-to-end encryption
    • 1.2 How to remove WhatsApp encryption
  • 2 What is WhatsApp end-to-end encryption
  • 3 Features of
    • 3.1 Setting up end-to-end encryption
  • 4 What is WhatsApp end-to-end encryption
    • 4.1 Whatsapp encryption: what is it?
    • 4.2 How to remove end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp?
  • 5 Whatsapp end-to-end encryption: what is it, how to disable it and how it works
  • 6 What is end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp?
  • 7 Why is Whatsapp encrypted?
  • 8 How encryption works
  • 9 How to disable end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp?
  • 10 Summing up
  • 11 Whatsapp encryption
  • 12 Why do we need encryption?
  • 13 What is end-to-end encryption?
  • 14 How does encryption work?
  • 15 How to remove end-to-end encryption. Whatsapp Encryption. Why Encrypt Messages and Calls
    • 15.1 Benefits of End-to-End Encryption
  • 16 Top Security Threats
    • 16.1 Confirmation of encryption
  • 17 About the appearance of instant messengers and the issue of privacy
  • 18 About the need for data encryption
  • 19 About encryption
  • 20 Encryption in Skype
      2 Most used
    • 22 whatsapp. The most popular mobile messenger
    • 23 Viber. The most popular messenger in Russia
    • 24 iMessage. Complete security is questionable
    • 25 Telegram. Legendary MTProto 9 encryption0007
    • 25.1 What is end-to-end encryption
    • 25.2 How to remove encryption in WhatsApp
  • 26 What is end-to-end encryption?
  • 27 Your WhatsApp messages are now 100% private (in the latest version)
  • 28 Are your messages encrypted ?
  • 29 A step forward in personal data privacy

Protecting personal data from access by third parties is exactly what users are looking for in modern messengers. For this reason, used in WhatsApp encryption is an indicator that developers care about their customers and prevent information from leaking from chats. Let's take a closer look at how this technology works.

What is end-to-end encryption

Many users still ask a reasonable question: “ WhatsApp end-to-end encryption - what is it? ". Let's start with the fact that it works by using end-to-end encryption technology, that is, data is exchanged between the sender and the recipient without checking messages by anyone, including even the developers themselves. This applies to all types of information, including:

  • text messages, emoji, GIF animations;
  • photographs, pictures;
  • video files;
  • recording audio and video calls, voice notifications.
  • After that, a combination of numbers and a QR code will appear, which must match that of your contact.

    The message is now encrypted on the smartphone before it is sent. It comes to the server not in the form of typed text, but in the form of symbols that are chaotic for a person. From there, the message is redirected to the recipient's smartphone or tablet, where it is decrypted. An encryption key is some sequence of characters that determines the "alphabet" of the cipher. It's some kind of alphabet. But in the case of WhatsApp, the key is unique for each device. Or rather, there are two of them: the first is responsible for converting the text when sending, the second - when receiving.

    Hacking such a system is possible only if this WhatsApp encryption key is known. And it is recorded directly on the user's device. This is modern protection in the messenger.

    Configuring End-to-End Encryption

    WhatsApp developers do not provide for disabling end-to-end encryption. This is even mentioned on the app's official website. This decision is quite logical, because the safety and security of personal information has always been important for users. And if you deactivate this function, then the security will go away.

    However, it is worth mentioning that not everything is so categorical. If you are looking for how to remove end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp, then there is such a way. It is enough to install on a smartphone or tablet the old version of WhatsApp, where this function was absent.

    But in this case, no one can guarantee that strangers will not get into your correspondence. However, keep in mind that in order to install older versions of the application, you will need to disable protection on your mobile device.

    In the case of Android, everything is simple, just activate the "Install from unknown sources" mode in the developer settings menu. But for iOS, you will need a jailbreak - a hacking option - which can damage your iPhone or iPad.

    Attention: there is no section on the official WhatsApp page where you can find older versions. This means that you will have to download the application from third-party resources that may contain viruses.

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    What is WhatsApp end-to-end encryption

    Each of us wants his personal data, correspondence and other confidential information to be under reliable protection. However, this is not always possible, as skilled hackers can break into almost any system and use the data obtained against you, as well as write off money from your accounts. The developers of the popular WhatsApp application were seriously concerned about this problem and they thoroughly took up this issue. So, in 2016, users of the application became available such an option as whatsapp encryption , designed to provide an increased level of security.

    Whatsapp encryption: what is it?

    Many Internet messenger users still do not really understand what end-to-end encryption is. However, this is a very useful feature, thanks to which your text and voice messages, photos, videos, music, documents and other information will not fall into the wrong hands and will not be used against you. Thus, the information will be available only to you and the person with whom you are corresponding. As the developers assure, the level of protection is so high that even they cannot view your messages or listen to calls.

    The principle of end-to-end encryption is as follows: each of the messages you send is protected by a special lock, the key to which only the recipient has. Encryption happens automatically, so you don't have to manually configure it yourself. In this case, the encoding process takes place directly on your device, and not on the application service.

    Important ! This feature is only available to those who use the latest versions of the application WhatsApp . It does not work in older versions, so the developers recommend installing updates as soon as possible, of course, if you do not want to become a victim of hackers.

    How to remove end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp?

    Many users have a completely logical question about whether it is possible to disable the encryption of personal data in WhatsApp. At the moment, developers do not consider such a function useful and appropriate, so it is not provided in the application. If for some reason you need to do this, then the only option is to rollback, that is, remove the updates and use an older version of the application. At the same time, do not forget to uncheck the box for automatic program updates.

    appwhat.ru

    Whatsapp end-to-end encryption: what it is, how to disable it and how it works

    End-to-end encryption in whatsapp, what is it - the question is becoming more and more popular among numerous users of this program. Especially often, such requests began to appear after the corresponding messages began to appear in the program. This article allows you to learn what it is, how encryption works and what benefits it provides.

    What is end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp?

    This option represents a special reversible recoding of the information entered. It is carried out with the simultaneous use of special end-to-end encryption technology. Information protection is carried out in the program at different possible levels, this is a response to a request, which means high-quality message protection. The option applies to messages and multimedia files:

    The new version of the utility also converts voice messages perfectly. Thanks to this innovation, no user will be able to read poisoned and received messages, and even developers. Any dialogue is competently and reliably protected, regardless of the number of participants and the type of communication - whether it is an individual conversation or a group one.

    Why do you need encryption in Whatsapp?

    This application for comfortable and effective communication is now in the leaderboard in numerous options and categories of Internet messengers. Answering whatsapp end-to-end encryption, it should be noted that this high-quality and well-thought-out encryption was added solely for various important purposes:

  1. Effective counteraction to modern cyber criminals.
  2. Protection of users and personal information from infringement by unauthorized persons.

There is an opinion that soon this form of data protection will be removed. This is necessary because it is required to protect the population from terrorism and extremism in possible ways.

At the same time, there are rumors that advertisements will appear in the program from time to time. As soon as the software closely links with Facebook, the program will begin to receive information about the habits and preferences of users, and based on them, advertising will be issued.

How encryption works

The operation of such a device is quite simple. The principle of operation of modern software protection is as follows:

  • The device is the first to send a special request for the previously opened key on the main server of the organization.
  • A notification protected by this key is sent from the first device to the second.
  • Another device is decoding an earlier received notification.

The essence of this protection is based on a rather complicated algorithm of actions. They are performed solely for the purpose of encoding information efficiently and effectively. If necessary, government agencies require to remove such protection, as developers are sometimes unable to cope with them. That's the main purpose why you need to use coding.

If you have any questions - let us know

Ask a question

How to disable end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp?

If for some reason a person wishes to completely mark the encoding of his information, he automatically has a question what protection is, how to disable such information protection on his own. Currently, this operation is not available to account holders and is unlikely to become available in the future, since there is simply no reason for this purpose.

If you still need to uninstall, you can simply mark the update, which can be done through a standard system rollback. When carrying out this operation, it is important not to forget to uncheck the box that is responsible for auto-updating the program. This will avoid updating the software, respectively, the described encoding will not start. It will not work in another way to disable the software, the question of how to remove the restriction is not relevant.

Summing up

Modern end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp for user communication is the best option for protecting messages from being viewed by third parties. The most powerful algorithms are used to achieve a positive result. Currently, such protection is built into the messenger by default. No one can remove or disable it at will.

whatsapp-help.com

Whatsapp encryption

Whatsapp message encryption - what is it and why is it needed? This question is asked by many users of this application, which has already become popular. This and much more will be discussed below.

Why is encryption needed?

Why did the owner of WhatsApp enable encryption? It is not known for certain what kind of conflict occurred between the law enforcement agencies of countries, their associations and the company's management, but now Whatsapp encrypts completely all the data sent by users. It turns out that only the sender and recipient of messages can see their content. This includes:

  • Text message, including emoticons.
  • Picture.
  • Video.
  • Photography.
  • Compiled (mixed) files.
  • Call (audio message).

In fact, it was necessary to enable encryption in order to resist cybercriminals and other users, individuals and legal entities that could have access to this kind of data. Even for the company itself, the correspondence of individual users is now completely closed for viewing. Whether you like it or not, by communicating on this Network using group chats, you will exchange data with the protection of their content, which cannot be removed.

Jan Kum, one of the owners of Watsap, believes that data sent by users to each other cannot be used or viewed by others. That is why you need encryption in Whatsapp. It's called "end-to-end encryption" and is done by default. Decryption is also performed automatically by the device of the recipient of the message.

What is end-to-end encryption?

If you use the latest version of the Whatsapp IOS program for negotiations in Vatsap, all messages sent to the interlocutor are encrypted by special software. This is called end-to-end encryption. The fact of its presence gives absolute guarantees of confidentiality to any user. Since this type of information protection is activated all the time, it is impossible to disable it, and it is not necessary.

Each time you send a message of any size and content, it is encoded separately (which means that you are protected), therefore it has its own key. It is available only to the person who sent the message, as well as the intended recipient of this information.

You can check the encoding in one of the following ways:

  • Copy the code from the information section (it consists of sixty digits) and send or otherwise inform your interlocutor. He will manually compare with his same code on the message. Encryption implies the coincidence of these numbers. By the way, you can also click “Share” on the QR code display screen and automatically send it to your interlocutor.
  • You can scan a QR code, which is somewhat similar to a barcode, only it does not consist of stripes, but of squares. It can be found by clicking “encryption” on your gadget. Upon successful verification, a green checkmark will appear on the screen. Such images mean that the information object is encrypted.

It is especially easy to make the second verification option if you and your interlocutor can meet in real life, that is, you are geographically close. In this case, one of you can scan a QR code from a friend’s device (it doesn’t matter if it’s Android or another device) from which he uses WhatsApp, or visually compare all sixty digits.

If the code didn't match, it means that you scanned the code of another chat or another user by mistake. It may also indicate an outdated version of the program. The message about the lack of encryption that pops up when you try to find out this code says the same thing.

The above process is called “Verify Security Code”, but it is not a mandatory procedure.

You can also check any of your chats against these new security standards. To do this, you need to go to the desired contact in the program, click "View contact", select "Encryption". After successful verification, you can send voice messages, text messages containing emoticons and any other information. Now you don't have to worry. Any intrusions from the outside when communicating are not afraid of you!

How does encryption work?

This type of sent data protection works as follows:

  1. User A (more precisely, his device) requests a public key from the server of the company that has the messenger program.
  2. A message is being sent from A to B, pre-encoded with this key.
  3. User B's device decrypts the message upon receipt.

So, in today's world, filled with information, both useful and harmful or incorrect, it is necessary to protect data from unauthorized influences and theft. When using WhatsApp, such coding-protection can be carried out automatically.

allmessengers.ru

How to remove end-to-end encryption. Whatsapp Encryption. Why encrypt messages and calls

Users of the popular messenger are often interested in the question "end-to-end encryption". Does it really keep conversations private? To answer, you will need to consider modern information encryption mechanisms, existing threats and how WhatsApp deals with them. As a preliminary summary, let's say that this messenger is one of the most secure along with Telegram and Viber.

The benefits of end-to-end encryption

Throughout the existence of writing, people have been looking for ways to hide the content of correspondence. With the spread of electronic communication, fast and reliable encryption methods were needed, the results of which could not be cracked in a reasonable time.

The result of end-to-end encryption is that only end users communicating with each other can access the information transferred to them, regardless of its form: text, photo, document, sound or video.

For complete security, WhatsApp encryption is always on and cannot be turned off. This means that not only all correspondence, but also each message is encrypted with a separate key, the pair of which is only with your interlocutor. How to read to an outsider, and is it possible, in principle? The only way to do this is to steal the phone.

Top security threats

Encryption confirmation

  1. Enter the chat, click on the contact and open the "9" window0327 Contact details ".
  2. Select Encryption. A 60-digit numeric code and a QR code will appear.
  3. If your interlocutor is nearby, he will confirm his identity by scanning the code. If it is not available, you can copy the digital code and send it to e-mail or SMS for comparison.

After successful confirmation, there is a guarantee that the conversation is encrypted and is really happening with your interlocutor.

We found out how to set up end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp, how secure it is and how to avoid possible threats to your privacy. For greater security, delete irrelevant correspondence, since the data is stored on WhatsApp servers only until it is received by the end subscriber. Therefore, if you delete received messages, they will disappear in the full sense of the word.

How data is encrypted in 6 popular messaging apps. And is it worth believing.

About the emergence of instant messengers and the issue of privacy

In the old days, the main means of communication on the Internet was e-mail (suffice it to recall the epic correspondence between Linus Torvalds and Andrew Tanenbaum, and not the fact that someone hacked the mail of one of them, Linus himself published the correspondence in his book “Just for Fun”), no one really thought about any encryption.

But this did not prevent individual individuals from encrypting/decrypting messages on a local computer, knowing the shared key. But it was not widespread, few people were interested in it. There were times.

In the first half of the 1990s, chat rooms became very popular as a means of communication. It should be noted that their popularity was high even until the middle of the first decade of the 21st century. I am sure that all readers of the resource know, and someone may remember the chats, so I will not dwell on them.

ICQ appeared in 1996. It was developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis. It was not the first and only instant messaging system, but due to its merits, it became the most popular, for example, at that time, IM application developers chose to monetize by selling them, and ICQ was free. At that time there was no question of encryption.

Proprietary OSCAR protocol was used for data transfer. Two years later, Mirabilis was bought by the American company AOL and until 2010, along with the messenger, belonged to her. And, in that year, the rights to ICQ were sold to Mail.Ru Group.

After the advent of ICQ, competing instant messaging systems began to appear like mushrooms after the rain. During the life of ICQ, a large number of both official modifications and unofficial clients have appeared, examples of which are QIP, Miranda and many others. Among the competing programs seeking to supplant ICQ in 1999 was Microsoft's MSN Messenger.

The latter tried to become a replacement for the ICQ client using its protocol, but failed, AOL thwarted attempts by changing the protocol.

There was no question of any encryption in the official ICQ messenger at that time, since the terms of use stipulated the possibility of using any data transmitted between interlocutors by a third party (AOL) for any purpose. At the same time, alternative clients could implement this feature.

About the need for data encryption

Initially, the need for encryption appeared not to protect your secrets from the "big brother", but to protect yourself from hackers, interception and modification of data. Users send more than just “Hi, how are you?” along with photos of cats, but sometimes very valuable and secret information: scans of personal documents, plane tickets, source codes and / or distributions of new programs / games / applications, and many other confidential information.

And users would not like their data to be easily intercepted and read by someone (especially sorry for the source codes).

But the vast majority of users were still in their infancy, thinking “no one needs my data” and assuming they are safe. But, here, like a bolt from the blue (in 2013), Edward Snowden appeared and surrendered everyone. In short, he talked about the fact that the spec. services monitor every message, every phone call, every purchase in the online store.

Users who previously felt protected found themselves in the palm of their “big brother”, who is able to look into any intimate matters. From here, the race for encryption began, or rather continued with a new - redoubled zeal.

About encryption

The vast majority of information security professionals recognize end-to-end encryption as the most secure method of protecting information. Therefore, IM system developers implement it in their products. Someone has already implemented it, someone is on the way to it. But over time, everyone will have it, even the giants of the industry, who themselves are not averse to getting into user data.

With end-to-end encryption, the keys used to encrypt and decrypt information are generated and stored only at the end nodes of the correspondence, that is, at its participants. The server side does not take any part in the creation of keys, and, therefore, does not have access to them, as a result, it sees only encoded data transmitted between participants. Only the latter can decode and read the information.

How does end-to-end encryption work? During the start of a communication session, 2 keys are generated on the device of each interlocutor: public and private. The latter is used to decrypt data, this key does not leave the local device.

The public key is transmitted over an open communication channel to the interlocutor (one or all, if there are several). Using the public key, the interlocutor can only encrypt data, and only the owner of the corresponding private key can decrypt it. Therefore, it does not matter who intercepts the public key. As a result of this, he will only be able to transfer his encrypted data.

Having generated a pair of keys, the interlocutors exchange public keys, after which secure communication begins.

Text, video, audio, files, after encryption from the sender, go to the server, where they are stored until the recipient is able to receive the data. After that, depending on the strategy of the company - the owner of the server, the data is either destroyed or stored for some more time.

As we can see: end-to-end encryption is good. For modern ICT facilities, encryption/decryption will not be an impossible task, not even a difficult task. At the same time, if several interlocutors participate in a conversation, then when sending a message, it is necessary to encrypt it for each, therefore, the load on the device equally increases from an increase in the number of interlocutors. To do this, developers are optimizing the means of organizing group conversations.

The idea of ​​end-to-end is not new. In 1991, Phil Zimmerman developed PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption software for messages and other data. In subsequent years, the algorithm and the corresponding software improved and acquired additional mechanisms.
In 1997, PGP Inc. proposed the OpenPGP initiative, and in 1999, members of the free software movement based on an open standard created a free implementation of PGP, GnuPG.

This is all to the fact that, since the PGP hack has not yet been fixed, it is possible to create encryption mechanisms based on the open implementation of PGP (the source codes are available), which, most likely, is what messenger developers are doing. Don't write from scratch.

Encryption in IM tools

In the 21st century, even more instant messengers have appeared, we will pay attention only to the most popular ones that have withstood the competition.

But first, about ICQ. As mentioned above, in this application, data is transmitted via OSCAR (text messages). In 2008, it became open, but still not free. The discovery of the protocol made it possible to be audited by independent researchers, which is an important point in the overall confidence in the security of network applications. Many alternative clients, including: Miranda, QiP have supported PGP-based encryption for quite some time now.

However, only in the spring of this year, in addition to the text, ICQ received end-to-end encryption on two fronts: audio and video. As we know, this type of encryption allows you to avoid reading data by a third party (Mail.ru), but at the same time, we remember that the terms of use stipulated the possibility of using any transmitted data.

Skype. The most used

It was created in 2003 by the Luxembourg company Skype Limited (mainly by Estonian programmers). Until now, a very popular messenger, obviously due to inertia. Skype Limited was bought by Microsoft in 2011. Earlier, the latter wanted to buy ICQ, but it did not work out, she did not miss the second chance with another messenger. Skype has ports for all common devices and operating systems.

At first, Skype used the original proprietary protocol that all the specs complained about. service due to the inability to hack it. But, after the purchase by Microsoft, the old protocol was deprecated and replaced by MSNP version 24. For external attacks, the protocol is resistant because the AES-256 encryption algorithm is used. At the same time, if an interlocutor from a regular landline or mobile phone participates in the conversation, then his data is not encrypted.

However, Microsoft is coming with a special. services for concessions by providing the requested data. Therefore, although the data is encrypted between the participants in the conversation, it can be unpacked and read on the server.

After 2003, by and large, no one was engaged in instant messengers for several years, it was not profitable, Skype brought losses almost every year.

WhatsApp. The most popular mobile messenger

This continued until 2009, when WhatsApp appeared. The first and very long time (until the beginning of this year), the application was paid. Also, there was no encryption. For data transfer, an open and free XMPP protocol based on XML is used, it involves the transfer of not only text messages, but also audio, video, binary / text files.

Work on the security of the messenger began in 2012 by encrypting text messages. But only in the spring of this year, end-to-end encryption was introduced not only for text, but also for voice and video messages. Accordingly, after that, the server side lost the ability to read user information.

Due to its wild popularity, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in 2014. Why did the payment plan change?

Viber. The most popular messenger in Russia

Then, in 2010, came Viber, a tool for IM and VoIP telephony. But only in the spring of this year, the transfer of any data became encrypted. Of course, the developers implemented end-to-end encryption.

iMessage.

Complete safety questionable

Developed in 2011. The first stage of encryption looks strong: the message is encrypted with a combination of a 1280-bit RSA public key and a 128-bit AES algorithm. And, the signature is based on the ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) algorithm. The interlocutors exchange keys to create encryption. At first glance, everything is cool.

According to the developers, the latest versions of the messenger use end-to-end encryption, the inability of company employees to read messages is in question. As mentioned in the “About Encryption” section: when sent, the encrypted data is stored on the server of the company that owns this server.

At first glance, the situation is standard, but the user's private key, which remains on the device, is associated with the user's password. The latter, in turn, is available from Apple. How else can passwords be recovered if a device is lost? This implies the possibility of recovering the key and decrypting messages.

Telegram. Legendary encryption MTProto

Appeared in 2013, thanks to the tandem of the Durov brothers. One of the latter tirelessly disseminates information about the safety of his offspring. Therefore, a lot of debate has been raised about the security of Telegram. Absolute security is a highly controversial issue.

Before sending data using the transport protocol (http, tcp, udp), they are encrypted by the MTProto protocol, a joint development of the brothers. It consists of three independent components: a high-level component, a cryptographic layer, and a delivery component. The first defines the method by which API requests and responses are converted to binary.

The second defines the method that encrypts messages before sending, and the last defines the method of message transmission (transport protocol type). During package preparation, an external header is added to the top of the message, it is a 64-bit key identifier that uniquely identifies the user and server authorization keys.

Together they represent a 256-bit key and the same number of bits of the initialization vector. The latter is used to encrypt the message using the AES-256 algorithm. The encrypted message includes: session, message ID, message sequence number, server salt. This data, in turn, influences the message key.

The message is thus encrypted. Telegram has the option to use end-to-end encryption or let the server see the data. Firstly, the second mode serves not to attract too much attention of the specialist. services, it is enabled by default.

First, the protected mode is called a secret chat (Secret room) and works according to all the laws of end-to-end encryption. The user himself at will can include this mode.

However, in both cases, messages are stored for a certain time on the server. In the first case, it is impossible to read them, and in the second case, it is possible. The duration of this time is controlled by the user.

Today, in terms of security, we can present the whole variety of modern instant messengers in two categories: instant messengers that implement full end-to-end encryption and the second category, these are messaging systems that only try to be similar to the first category, although they encrypt the sent data, on the server this data can be easily read.

Protecting personal data from access by third parties is exactly what users are looking for in modern messengers. For this reason, used in Whatsapp encryption is an indicator that developers care about their customers and prevent information from leaking from chats. Let's take a closer look at how this technology works.

What is end-to-end encryption

Many users still ask a reasonable question: “ WhatsApp end-to-end encryption - what is it? ". Let's start with the fact that it works by using end-to-end encryption technology, that is, data is exchanged between the sender and the recipient without checking messages by anyone, including even the developers themselves. This applies to all types of information, including:

Technology has emerged as a necessary measure to combat cyberterrorists and government services that have repeatedly compromised themselves in obtaining data from personal correspondence

How to remove encryption in WhatsApp

It is worth noting that it is impossible to remove end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp. After its introduction, the creators of the messenger left only the opportunity to view the unique cipher code available to the participants in the dialogue. You can do it like this:

After that, a combination of numbers and a QR code will appear, which must match that of your contact.

In conclusion, it should be noted that such innovations are necessary to save personal correspondence and forwarded files, so there is simply no need to turn it off.

End-to-end encryption in WhatsApp, no less, means 100% confidentiality of correspondence, which becomes available only to the interlocutors involved in communication, excluding tracking by outsiders.

Last night I was IMing on WhatsApp with a friend from out of town, when a notification appeared on the screen that end-to-end encryption of messages and calls was launched.

What is end-to-end encryption ?

End-to-end encryption technology (also called “end-to-end encryption” or “E2EE”) is a data transmission method in which only the sender and recipient have access to the transmitted information. In the case of WhatsApp, this means that messages, calls, photos or videos sent and received are completely encrypted using special cryptographic keys. The decryption key is available exclusively to the interlocutor, so neither interceptors, nor government agencies, nor even the WhatsApp server itself, through which data is transmitted, will be able to decrypt messages. Even in the case of a hypothetical interception of information by intruders, the use of modern encryption technology makes it almost impossible to gain access to its contents.

Your messages in the service WhatsApp are now 100% private (in the latest version of the program )

I confess in spirit - even though I have nothing to hide, I still do not want anyone else read my personal correspondence, listened to my calls or looked at family photos. Thanks to the new E2EE encryption function in the popular messenger, all correspondence is securely encrypted and in order to gain access to it and its contents, now you have to try very hard, which in my case (as in the case of the lion's share of the messenger's audience), hardly probably.

Are your messages encrypted ?

Great news - WhatsApp has set up encryption of all transmitted data by default for all users of the latest version of the program. All you need to do for this is to update the messenger. It is important to emphasize that the encryption technology is only effective when the person you are talking to is also using the latest version of WhatsApp. Even if one member of the group does not use the latest version of the program, all members of the group are automatically at risk of being compromised. If you want to check the status of your chats, click on the person's image. The bottom of the dialog that appears will indicate if encryption is enabled.

The picture below shows that one of the members of my group has not yet updated WhatsApp, so all information posted in the group is unencrypted.

A step forward in privacy

Philip Chytry, Head of Mobile Threat Research at Avast, said in this regard: data exchange in your service, following the existing security standard, which has been used for a long time, for example, in the T elegram 9 messenger0472 . For an ordinary user, this means a guarantee of the confidentiality of personal correspondence, which in itself cannot but rejoice.

Thanks to encryption, now even WhatsApp itself cannot view the correspondence of its users. To be fair, this does not yet cover meta data, meaning that WhatsApp can still see who exactly you are chatting with, but not the content of your conversation.”

The transition of the WhatsApp messenger to full encryption of user correspondence occurred against the backdrop of a rapid increase in incidents of confidential data leaks, increasing surveillance of users by government agencies and large corporations, when the topic of online privacy is widely discussed not only by professionals, but also in the widest circle ordinary users. All the more significant is the fact that one update of the messenger version is enough to protect a billion people from being tracked by outsiders.

Follow the news Avast on networks

Claims that all encrypted messengers are vulnerable, and in particular, Whatsapp. The material made a lot of noise, but is it really so sad? Open Whisper Systems, an expert in the field of Internet security, claims that nothing new was written in The Guardian and Votsap was “run over” in vain.

Last spring, Whatsapp released the biggest update in its history - it added a forced end-to-end encryption feature, which essentially means that no one, including Whatsapp, can read your correspondence. Yesterday's investigation by The Guardian presents the opinion of an expert who claims that Whatsapp deliberately left a "backdoor" in its code for possible interception of messages by intelligence agencies and other interested parties. The Whatsapp developers themselves claim that this is not at all the case, and that the potentially unsafe behavior of their application is nothing more than making life easier for their many users.

Whatsapp security was developed with the help of Open Whisper Systems, the same company that developed the most secure messenger in the world - Signal, and in its blog the company describes in detail how everything works. WhatsApp has implemented the Signal protocol (and it has also been implemented in the recent Google Allo), which gives each user two security keys: a public key by which other users can identify him and a personal private key that will be fixed on the device. Since people frequently change their phones and reinstall apps, the security keychain will change accordingly. Users can ensure the privacy of their communication within Whatsapp by checking the security code on each device participating in the conversation - if the codes match, this will mean that there is no interception of messages between the interlocutors (this type of attack is called man-in-the-middle, MITM).

The Guardian is based on an investigation by Tobias Belter. He claims that the Whatsapp server can be hacked at the request of third parties. That is, Votsap can generate a new security key and issue it to these very third parties until users notice that something has happened. In the Signal app messenger, any security key spoofing results in a message being unable to be sent and a security warning, all before the user is about to forward the message again and on their own. In Whatsapp, the user receives a notification about the key change, while the message will be automatically recoded under the new key and sent to the addressee. That is, you can only then find out whether the new key really matches your addressee. Despite the fact that such a warning setting in your Whatsapp still needs to be enabled manually:

This behavior of Whatsapp at Open Whisper Systems is explained by the ideological ease of use of the messenger. Also, Whatsapp servers do not know who has enabled the warning setting and who has not, so a hacking attempt can be quickly detected. In any case, Whatsapp “lawyers” insist that such a security policy can be called whatever you like, but this is not a vulnerability or a backdoor. This is a "feature".

Many Western security experts agree with the findings of Open Whisper Systems:

It's ridiculous that this is presented as a backdoor. If you don't verify keys, authenticity of keys is not guaranteed. well known fact.

Frederic Jacobs (@FredericJacobs)

crabo.ru

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Are WhatsApp messages encrypted? All about encryption of correspondence in WhatsApp

What is encryption in WhatsApp? This question has become popular recently due to the fact that on many smartphones in the messenger of the same name a window appeared with the text: “The messages that you send to this chat and calls are now encrypted. To learn more". This is due to the program update: the developer has introduced a full data encryption system to ensure the safety of its customers.

What is WhatsApp encryption?

How does the protection of information inside the chat work after the innovation? Encryption - that is, reversible data conversion - occurs using end-to-end encryption technology. This is end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp messages, thanks to which no one, even employees of the developer company, can read absolutely anything that is written in the chat. A WhatsApp conversation is encrypted regardless of the number of participants: from two in a personal conversation to many in a group conversation.

Thus, it is easy to answer the question of what it means in WhatsApp: "Messages and calls are encrypted." There is nothing negative about this update. For the first time, this technology was used in the Telegram application. Pavel Durov, who owns this product, launched an updated version after he learned from Edward Snowden's messages about mass wiretapping of calls and viewing messages of US citizens by their own special services. Durov considered it necessary to invent a method that would qualitatively increase the level of user protection, and launched the end-to-end encryption transformation.

It is important to note that in Vatsap data encryption occurs at all levels: encryption is relevant not only for text, but also for all multimedia files: photos, music, videos. Moreover, the new version of the utility encrypts even voice calls.

How to enable WhatsApp encryption

The message that WhatsApp encryption is enabled did not appear to all users. Therefore, users familiar with the latest news in the software world are wondering: how to encrypt a message in WhatsApp? How to set up this feature? In fact, no tricky manipulations are required. Everyone who has upgraded to the latest version has already enabled encryption. This means that the function is now running by default.

In June 2016, almost all android smartphone users and iphone owners (ios operating system) have this update. But to make sure end-to-end encryption is happening, it's worth checking your version. To do this, you need to enter the settings and make sure that the "Encryption" column appears there.

How to remove encryption in WhatsApp?

If for some reason the user wants to cancel the recoding of their web data, they are wondering how to turn off encryption in WhatsApp. At this stage, this is impossible, since such a desire - to delete, turn off, remove the recoding - in principle has no logical grounds.

If it is vital for the user, the update can simply be canceled by rolling back the entire system. It is important not to forget to uncheck the auto-update of this program so that history does not repeat itself.

How do I enable security notifications?

To do this, you need: