What is a messaging application signal and how safe?

Free messaging application signal, the White House was used for a secret group conversation among senior US officials after confirming the headlines.

Atlantic Editor -in -Chief Jeffrey Goldberg accidentally added to the group where strike plans against the Houthi group in Yemen were discussed.

“One of the most striking intelligence leaks,” he says, “one of the most striking intelligence leaks,” Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer calls on history and investigation.

But in fact what is the signal – and how safe or otherwise communication of senior politicians?

Signal estimated 40-70 million users per month – making it quite small compared to WhatsApp and Messenger, the biggest messaging services that count billions of customers.

Where he leads his leadership in safety.

At the center of this end -to -end encryption (E2EE).

Simply put, this can only read the sending and receiver messages – even the signal cannot access them.

On a few other platforms, including E2EE – WhatsApp – but Signal’s security features go beyond that.

For example, the code that runs the application is open source – that is, everyone can control it to ensure that there is no safety deficit that computer pirates can use.

The owners say that they collect much less information than their users, and that they do not store the records of groups where user names, profile pictures or groups are part of.

In addition, there is no need to dilute these features to make more money: the signal belongs to a US -based Signal Foundation based on donations instead of advertising revenue.

“Signal is a gold standard in special communications,” he said boss Meredith Whittaker In a shipment in x After the US National Security Story has been opened to the public.

This “gold standard claim” is what makes the signal attractive to cyber security experts and journalists who often use the application.

However, even this safety level is considered to be inadequate for high -level speeches on highly sensitive national security issues.

The reason for this is that it is a largely inevitable risk to communicate through a mobile phone: it is just as safe as the person using it.

If someone is on your phone when the signal is open or if you find out your password – you can see your messages.

And if you are using your phone in a public area, no application can prevent it from looking at your shoulder.

Data expert Caro Robson, who works with US administration, said that it was “very unusual” to communicate with high -ranking security guards on a signaling platform such as a signal.

“You usually use a very safe government system that is operated and owned by the government using a very high level of encryption.” He said.

He said that this would usually mean devices that are kept in “very secure government controlled places”.

The US government used a sensitive compartment information facility (SCIF – “SKIFF”) to discuss national security issues historically.

SCIF is an ultra -safe closed area where personal electronic devices are not allowed.

“To access even such classified information, you must be in a particular room, or you must be swept over and over again for errors or any listening devices.” He said.

SCIFs can be found in places extending from military bases to the homes of the authorities.

“The entire system is greatly encrypted and secured using the government’s highest cryptography standards.” He said.

“Especially when it comes to defense.”

There is another problem due to the signal that increases concerns – lost messages.

The signal, like many other messaging applications, allows its users to eliminate messages after a certain period of time.

Jeffrey Goldberg from the Atlantic said that some messages in the signal group he added were disappeared a week later.

This may violate the laws to register, unless those who use the application transmitted in their messages are sent to an official government account.

This is also far from the first line containing E2EE

Various administrations wanted to create a so -called back door for messaging services that use the messages they think they could pose a national security threat.

Applications including Signal and WhatsApp have previously made attempts to create such a back door, saying that it would be used by bad actors.

Signal Threatened to withdraw the application from England in 2023 If it is weakened by deputies.

This year, the United Kingdom government has been in an important order with Apple, who also used E2EE to protect certain files in cloud storage.

After the government demanded access to the data protected by the technology giant, Apple completely attracted the feature in the UK.

Legal case continues.

However, as this discussion shows, if you share your secret data with the wrong person, security or legal protection level is not important.

Or A critic put it more clearly: “Encryption cannot protect you from stupid.”