WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, says it will encrypt cloud backups end-to-end. The messenger will introduce the feature for both iOS and Android users in the next few weeks.
The desire to be able to encrypt WhatsApp backups has been around for a long time. Now WhatsApp wants to finally introduce the feature. explained Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg:
We're adding another layer of privacy and security to WhatsApp: end-to-end encryption for the backups stored in Google Drive or iCloud. WhatsApp is the first global messaging service of this scale to offer end-to-end encrypted messages and backups. Getting there was a really difficult engineering challenge that required a completely new framework for storing keys and storing them in the cloud on different operating systems.
Encrypting WhatsApp backups: How it works
Opposite TechCrunch Facebook provided further details on how it works:
In the coming weeks, WhatsApp users will be able to generate a 64-character encryption key to secure 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 secures their encryption key in a cloud-based "Backup Key Vault" that WhatsApp has developed. The encryption key stored in the cloud cannot be used without the user's password, which WhatsApp does not know.
This also means that when an encrypted WhatsApp backup is created, the previous copies are deleted. "This happens automatically and the user does not have to do anything," said the press spokesperson. Facebook has also published a white paper on the security of the new encrypted backups, which describes all the details. If you would like to see it, you can find it here. As soon as the feature is available, we will of course report on it again. (Photo by diy13 / Bigstockphoto)
