Yahoo News Skype is finally adding end-to-end encryption – here’s why it’s a big deal
Video-calling platform Skype is testing a new feature which will add end-to-end encryption to secure messages sent on the platform.
The new feature, named “Private Conversations” will add an extra level of security to text and audio messages, as well as files, sent on Skype.
End-to-end encryption is a way of encoding a message so only the authorised parties, the person sending and the person receiving the message, can see what it says. If anybody else tried to look at it, they would see a garbled mess of letters and numbers that would not make sense. This is because they do not own the shared key which authorises them to read it.
Encryption prevents anyone from reading the message, whether that’s a hacker or a government trying to intervene.
It was a big topic of conversation last year following the Westminster terror attacks. The UK home secretary Amber Rudd criticised tech companies such as WhatsApp for employing such encryption that intelligence agencies could not break.
Why is it important that Skype is adding end-to-end encryption?
At the moment, all Skype-to-Skype messages and calls are encrypted, but not end-to-end. When sending sensitive information, it’s better to use end-to-end so you can ensure no one else is reading the message, apart from the person it is intended for.
In order to add the extra security, Skype’s parent company Microsoft has partnered with an encryption app, Signal. The app, which counts Edward Snowden amongst its fans, has an open source Signal Protocol which is used by the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to encrypt messages.
Signal developer Joshua Lund explained in a blog why the two companies have struck up the partnership.
“At Signal, our goal is to make private communication simple and ubiquitous. With hundreds of millions of active users, Skype is one of the most popular applications in the world, and we’re excited that Private Conversations in Skype will allow more users to take advantage of Signal Protocol’s strong encryption properties for secure communication,” he said.
How can I use Skype’s end-to-end encryption?
Skype’s new Private Conversations feature is only available for Skype Insiders right now. This a community of Skype customers that receive access to new innovations the platform is implementing.
There isn’t a date available yet for when other users of Skype will get to use the new features.
What other apps use end-to-end encryption?
In the meantime, if you’re concerned about the security of your messages there are many different apps you can use.
As well as WhatsApp, there’s Wire. Wire can be used like a normal messaging app or for business purposes, and all the messages, voice calls and video calls are end-to-end encrypted.
In addition, messaging app Dust offers an extra level of security that the others don’t: you can erase your messages off someone else’s phone. The company says all messages are heavily encrypted, with the added bonus of messages auto-erasing after 24 hours. Very secure.
