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In a far more privacy-conscious world than ever before, most of us must have heard that WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, and we even talk about it. But how many of us actually know how it works? Or what it means?
Conventionally, internet communication hasn’t been entirely encrypted. Every move we make online, or every little thing we search, can be seen or stored by a third party. The modern internet may be a blessing, but it has got its downs with it. Therefore, it is very important to fully protect our texts or anything as such. That's where “end-to-end encryption” plays its part.
What is End-to-End Encryption?
End-to-end Encryption, or E2EE, is one of the most practical and reliable methods for protecting digital information. E2EE does not change the way communication is executed or transmitted. It simply acts as a shield of protection. In plain terms, it means that no one except the intended recipient can read/view/access the sent information.
When we use E2EE to send a text to someone, no one keeping an eye on the network or any third party in between can see what is being transmitted. It protects users from hackers, the government, and even some fraud companies. Take WhatsApp for instance, where all texts are encrypted in this manner. This way, even WhatsApp teams can’t access the contents of its users’ messages.
If your neighbor manages to hack your WIFI network, he can access all your online activity. With unencrypted data, he can see it in plain-text, like this:
yourname@youremail.com — Password1234
However, with encryption, even with your neighbor sniffing it 24/7, he can only see this:
Email: w8FOdIASVEOuU33VtlUDRFXVE3oARNHq1v5tOQdkX8M= Password: K4ysWmpk9g7T8TIlxWYuqg==
How Does End-to-End Encryption Work?
E2EE hands both ends of the communication - the users a pair of encrypted keys, one public, and one private. The two keys are mathematically linked with each other, such that the private key decrypts the public one. The public key can be shared with anyone, but the private key remains with the 1st party.
For example, Sam sends a text to Brad, now, that text passes by multiple servers. Third parties might try to read them or decode the text. But it is impossible to convert the ciphertext back into a readable one. Only Brad can do that with his private key, once the text reaches him. In simpler words, Sam uses Brad's public key to send him a text, and Brad uses his private key to read the text.
The simplest example that we use every single day is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) inside of a web browser. When you sit down at your laptop and casually start browsing your favorite e-shop website, your traffic may be able to be snooped by just about anyone sitting in between or near your traffic as it leaves your laptop, traverses the Internet, and lands on a server somewhere on the planet. That’s a reason when it comes time to enter in our payment details, we are trained to look for the lock in the toolbar, https in the URL, or the new green bar in the location field. To the average consumer, this means that their payment data is safe, and cannot be stolen while transmitting over the untrusted Internet.
Advantages of end-to-end encryption services
There are several advantages of E2EE over the standard encryption that most services utilize:
It keeps your data safe from hacks: E2EE means fewer parties have access to your unencrypted data. Even if hackers compromise the servers where your data is stored (e.g., the Yahoo mail hack), they cannot decrypt your data because they do not possess the decryption keys.
It keeps your data private: If you use Gmail, Google can know every intimate detail you put in your emails, and it can save your emails even if you delete them. E2EE gives you control over who reads your messages.
It’s good for democracy: Everyone has the right to privacy. E2EE protects free speech and shields persecuted activists, dissidents, and journalists from intimidation.
Conclusion
We’re living in a digital world where security and privacy matter more than ever. If you are concern about your data and value privacy, then it’s a must to use one of these encryption messaging apps to better secure them from spies, hackers, or any other malicious actors.
Thank you for reading. I will be so glad to see you again next time.
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