Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messaging app used for secure communication around the world. Recently, news came out that US military and government officials are using this app to share attack plans and confidential information. Due to its strong security and privacy features, this app has become popular among government agencies, journalists and security researchers.
What is Signal App?
Signal is a cross-platform (Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux) instant messaging app developed by the Signal Foundation and Signal Messenger LLC. This app is open source, which means that its code is publicly available and anyone can check its security.
Signal’s security and encryption technology
Signal’s biggest strength is its end-to-end encryption (E2EE) technology. It is based on the Signal Protocol, which is considered the world’s most secure messaging protocol**. How does the Signal Protocol work? Default encryption All chats and calls are automatically encrypted. Public-key cryptography Each user has a unique encryption key. Forward secrecy Even if a hacker decrypts one message, the rest of the messages remain secure. Metadata security: Signal also keeps users’ identities and chat history secure. Can Signal be hacked? So far, no successful attempt has been made to hack Signal. Although attacks through phishing or device access are possible, Signal’s code is so strong that it is almost impossible to steal data directly from the server or network. Why is Signal used by US officials? US government and military officials chose Signal to share confidential plans, because Protection from government surveillance: Messages sent on Signal cannot be read even by agencies like NSA, CIA. Secure File Sharing Attack strategies, maps and documents can be sent securely. Self-Deleting Messages Sensitive information can be automatically deleted after a certain period of time. No Log Policy The Signal company does not have user data, so information cannot be given even on court order.
Is Signal also used by terrorists?
Yes, because Signal’s security is so strong that terrorists and criminals also use it. Due to this, there has been a demand to ban Signal in some countries.
History and Development of Signal
Moxie Marlinspike and Stuart Anderson created Whisper Systems, which launched encrypted apps like TextSecure and RedPhone. 2013 Twitter bought Whisper Systems, but later made these apps open source. 2014 The Signal protocol was born, which was also adopted by WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
2018 Signal Foundation is founded, a non-profit organization. 2020-present: Signal users increase drastically after WhatsApp’s new privacy policy.
