I have had an advert for WhatsAPP fed to me a number of times this week by Facebook on YouTube. This blog is how these adverts are misleading the public.
I am going to make an assumption here that Facebook have technical people probably as capable as I am and that someone who understands how things plug in gets a look in before “Marketing” (here I dearly want to use the despised air quotes) is let loose.
The implied benefit of the WhatsApp encryption is that, with impunity, you could send sarcastic or rude private messages about the couple eating dinner with you at the same table. The encryption would keep the messages private between you and your co-conspirator.
Sorry, that is not how this privacy tool works.
I have bad news for you – the person you are being rude about simply has to “shoulder surf” you to read how rude you are. They could even spot the incoming message on the phone whilst it is lying on the table if you do not keep it hidden.
I am fully supportive of end-to-end encryption, which protects your message from those who have the resources (and legal rights) to intercept your message whilst it travels the internet between the phones. The intercepted message in the case of WhatsApp (and iOS Messages) would be in a format that would render them unintelligible to the person retrieving them mid-route.
Make sure when someone is selling you a privacy or security solution that it is proportionate to and meets your business needs – not the seller’s needs.
Clive Catton MSc (Cyber Security)
Clive is the CIO at Octagon Technology with special responsibility for data privacy and security. The world of business technology is constantly changing and to meet this challenge he recently graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with an MSc in Advanced Computer Security and Digital Forensics. His dissertation was on data privacy in small businesses using Microsoft 365 for business.
The degree is not the end of the studying – to keep current Clive spends some of his time at work simply reading and studying the latest technology trends and threats so our clients can benefit from this knowledge. This knowledge also shapes and supports the products and services our people deliver to the clients.
To fully use Clive’s new Master’s degree in Computer Security, Clive and Diana have a joint venture with an international research company to get access for our clients to up to date information, schemas, analytics, templates, actionable tools and guidance. Whatever the size of your organisation if you are not approaching IT, security and privacy in a way that supports and benefits you, they can help, from the boardroom to the shop floor.
If you would like to discuss any of these matters with Clive, email me at kamila@octagontech.com and I will organise a video meeting for you. He will be happy to answer questions about your particular issues.
Kamila (General Manager)
