WhatsApp Will Finally Let Users Encrypt Their Chat Backups in the Cloud (techcrunch.com) 12
WhatsApp said on Friday it will give its two billion users the option to encrypt their chat backups to the cloud, taking a significant step to put a lid on one of the tricky ways private communication between individuals on the app can be compromised. From a report: The Facebook-owned service has end-to-end encrypted chats between users for more than a decade. But users have had no option but to store their chat backup to their cloud -- iCloud on iPhones and Google Drive on Android -- in an unencrypted format. [...] Now WhatsApp says it is patching this weak link in the system.
The company said it has devised a system to enable WhatsApp users on Android and iOS to lock their chat backups with encryption keys. WhatsApp says it will offer users two ways to encrypt their cloud backups, and the feature is optional. In the "coming weeks," users on WhatsApp will see an option to generate a 64-digit encryption key to lock their chat backups in the cloud. Users can store the encryption key offline or in a password manager of their choice, or they can create a password that backs up their encryption key in a cloud-based "backup key vault" that WhatsApp has developed.
The company said it has devised a system to enable WhatsApp users on Android and iOS to lock their chat backups with encryption keys. WhatsApp says it will offer users two ways to encrypt their cloud backups, and the feature is optional. In the "coming weeks," users on WhatsApp will see an option to generate a 64-digit encryption key to lock their chat backups in the cloud. Users can store the encryption key offline or in a password manager of their choice, or they can create a password that backs up their encryption key in a cloud-based "backup key vault" that WhatsApp has developed.
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I know that Moxie from Signal literally gave them the same encryption that Signal uses, and helped them implement it, because it matters more that they are at least a bit "safe", than some silly dick comparisons.
Or course it's almost completely pointless, since the WhatsApp client is itself closed source, and can pipe off whatever it wants to Facebook in an encrypted tunnel. It's more like Britain building the safest tunnels ever between Nazi Germany embassies on British soil. Sure, Stalin can't get in. But
Correction: (Score:1)
Given that your phone probably runs Android or iOS, it's more like Britain building the safest tunnels ever between Nazi Germany embassies on Soviet soil so Stalin can't get in. Like he couldn't just come through the main door.
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It is doubtful that communication is really encrypted end to end.
It sure is, with Facebook being one the "end" of the communication, that is.
Seriously, if you use WhatsApp without assuming Facebook recording every move and every pause you made on the app, you are being *very* naive.
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Flappy bird effect. Aka being led by clueless people. Plus a lot of manipulative marketing. Aka a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It always starts with a sneaky marketing trick, where you just always state that "everyone" is downloading it. Making people believe they are the exception and left out. Actually downloading it as a result. Until that statement actually becomes true too. And then it's actually true that you will be left out.
You and me will not be stopped by this, because we don't like humans much anyway
"In the cloud" ... *laughs in Signal* (Score:1)
Signal backs it up in a local zip file on your phone. Encrypted with a passphrase obviously.
Which you then sync off / back up normally via whatever method the OS or whatever offers. (I just use adb to copy and launch an rsync server to sync with. But of course sanity would be having root on your own damn pocket computer, creating a snapshot on, and syncing the entire data storage.)
WhatsApp "lets" users encrypt their stuff and "back it up" to some enemy's servers?
How do people put up with this crap?
(Am I the
Re: (Score:2)
Whatsapp already stores the backups locally on the media storage so that you can use your own backup mechanism. It will nag you about once a month about enabling cloud backups, but you don't have to use those.
The backup is encrypted, though only to prevent other apps from reading the data. The whatsapp servers have the key so that you can restore the data on a new phone.
Nobody cares (Score:2)
Apparently, nobody cares...
I don‘t get it (Score:2)
Why do people keep that crap or even back it up?
Who wants a copy of a conversation about which restaurant to dine in in 2018?
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For switching phones and in doing so retaining your (recent) message history.