The popular IM and chat application WhatsApp is a great example. The app sends a lot of data back and forth between its users. This includes the chats history, media, device information, and so on. As this data is sent unencrypted, it can be decrypted by anyone who is in range of the Wi-Fi network that the WhatsApp app is running on. This also includes information about which websites a person visited and which apps they used. It is important to note that this data is not sent in the clear. Instead, it is encrypted with a 128-bit key. This means that even WhatsApp cannot decrypt it. This information is sent in the clear on the network, which means that anyone on the same Wi-Fi network can decrypt it.
Encryption in WhatsApp
WhatsApp is not the only app that uses encryption to keep data private. There are many other programs, like those specific to messaging apps, that use this same kind of encryption.
Encryption also can be used as a security measure for your personal device and in order to send messages securely. As long as you have the proper key, only you will be able to decrypt the message at any time.
How to stay safe while using WhatsApp
When using WhatsApp, make sure to use a secure Wi-Fi network. This is because anyone on the same Wi-Fi network as you can get this information from your device. You can also change your phone's settings so that it doesn't automatically connect to a WiFi network every time you turn it on.
Another way to stay safe while using WhatsApp is to not use public WiFi networks. Public WiFi networks are often insecure and are easy targets for hackers. If you must use a public WiFi network, then make sure that the password is secure. And if you're using a public WiFi network, then be careful about what apps you download and any personal information you input into them (like passwords) as they might be accessible to hackers as well.
DNS-over-TLS
DNS-over-TLS was designed for exactly this purpose. It is a secure and encrypted version of DNS, which stands for Domain Name System. Unlike regular DNS, DNS-over-TLS encrypts the data that it sends over its network. This prevents the data from being intercepted or decrypted by third parties because it is sent in an encrypted format. All of the information that is sent over the network has one root key, so no individual piece of data can be intercepted without it being decrypted as well.
DNS-over-TLS encrypts all of the data sent to and from users on a Wi-Fi network, including WhatsApp’s unencrypted data. In addition to encryption, DNS-over-TLS also helps protect against packet sniffing and man in the middle attacks by adding an additional layer of security on top of IPSEC.
How to stop WhatsApp from sending unencrypted data
Thankfully, it's fairly easy to stop WhatsApp from sending out unencrypted data. There are two different ways you can do this:
1) In the app's settings, enable "Don't send chats history" . This will not encrypt the chats history and media for your account.
2) On WhatsApp Web, go to Settings -> Account -> Encryption key and select "Do not transmit unencrypted messages". This will disable all encryption for your account on WhatsApp Web. In order to ensure that people cannot access your conversations on WhatsApp Web, you should create a new account on the website.
Timeline
Published on: 10/14/2022 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/17/2022 20:36:00 UTC