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Some of the most popular messaging apps, including Google Handouts, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, BlackBerry Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger aren’t as secure as they should be.
In a comprehensive review done by advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), it found that many of these widely used instant messaging clients fail to provide the most minimal standards for security. The organization tested 39 messaging clients on seven criterias that it believe are necessary to ensure privacy and security of our data in today’s digital age. The seven criterias covered several pricacy aspects including whether the application is able to encrypt the data in transit, and whether the communication is end-to-end encrypted to ensure that no intruder is able to sniff on the data, and whether users are able to identify the contacts even if the service provider is compromised, and whether user’s past conversation are secure if long-term private keys are compromised. In addition, EFF also checked if the product’s cryptographic design is well documented, among others.
The study found that among all the tools it tested, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime are the most sophisticated products from the security standpoint. But it noted that neither offer protection from targeted intelligence gathering. If a person wants even more secure client, the EFF found that six apps, including ChatSecure, Cryptocat, Signal/Redphone,Silent Phone, Silent Text and TextSecure are almost foolproof. However, these clients don’t really offer the visual delight and great user interface that most of us take for granted these days.
The good news is that many of these tech companies are already working on to make their products more secure. “They are hardening their products against bad actors [and] anyone who wants to get at your data,” says Nate Cardozo, the EFF’s staff attorney.
http://www.bgr.in/news/facebook-messenger-whatsapp-and-many-other-messaging-clients-fail-in-effs-security-review/
In a comprehensive review done by advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), it found that many of these widely used instant messaging clients fail to provide the most minimal standards for security. The organization tested 39 messaging clients on seven criterias that it believe are necessary to ensure privacy and security of our data in today’s digital age. The seven criterias covered several pricacy aspects including whether the application is able to encrypt the data in transit, and whether the communication is end-to-end encrypted to ensure that no intruder is able to sniff on the data, and whether users are able to identify the contacts even if the service provider is compromised, and whether user’s past conversation are secure if long-term private keys are compromised. In addition, EFF also checked if the product’s cryptographic design is well documented, among others.
The study found that among all the tools it tested, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime are the most sophisticated products from the security standpoint. But it noted that neither offer protection from targeted intelligence gathering. If a person wants even more secure client, the EFF found that six apps, including ChatSecure, Cryptocat, Signal/Redphone,Silent Phone, Silent Text and TextSecure are almost foolproof. However, these clients don’t really offer the visual delight and great user interface that most of us take for granted these days.
The good news is that many of these tech companies are already working on to make their products more secure. “They are hardening their products against bad actors [and] anyone who wants to get at your data,” says Nate Cardozo, the EFF’s staff attorney.
http://www.bgr.in/news/facebook-messenger-whatsapp-and-many-other-messaging-clients-fail-in-effs-security-review/
