How Secure Are Our Messages Really?

A new study conducted by Brigham Young University (BYU) researchers has revealed that most users of popular messaging apps such as Viber and WhatsApp are making themselves exposed to hacking and fraud. How? By not using important security options.
The researchers wanted to understand how typical users use messaging apps and how they’re protecting themselves while they’re using them. And their results are disheartening.
Although Viber, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp use encryption by default, all three apps also require authentication ceremony to ensure real security. The problem is this – most users are simply not aware of the authentication ceremony and its importance. So, “it is possible that a malicious third party or man-in-the middle attacker can eavesdrop on their conversations,” explains BYU computer science Ph.D. student Elham Vaziripour, who led the study.
Even more worrying is the fact that once the researchers told users about the authentication ceremonies, many thought the process was not simple, they were frustrated with it, and it took them a long time actually to do it.
Vaziripour explains that the ultimate goal is to perform the authentication ceremony “behind the scenes” automatically so that the problems can be addressed without making the users educate themselves.

Source:
Brigham Young University via ScienceDaily (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170810173313.htm)