Viber adds secure end-to-end encryption to chats
Posted on: 21/Apr/2016 12:17:58 PM
Viber a messaging app with 711 million+ users - today is introducing end-to-end encryption for all messages and calls on its platform, including group chats (you can chat with up to 200 people), and a way to hide chats on your account alongside its existing expanded deletin.
Viber`s encryption will come with varying levels of security, the company said, which will show up in the form of a color-coded lock on the right side of the screen.
A grey lock will mean the conversation (voice or text) is fully encrypted. You can tap on the lock to confirm this.
Users also have the option of selecting a green lock, which will mean that you can additionally authenticate users before each conversation or to continually monitor them to make sure the users are verified. This option is useful if you`re talking to someone who might share an account with another person - say a child or partner.
A red lock, meanwhile, comes up if a trusted user does not pass re-authentication at his/her end. This could be because a device has changed, or because someone is trying to access the data via a man-in-the-middle attack, Viber notes, meaning that users need to re-authenticate for security and encryption to come back into effect.
