WhatsApp launching three security features
Popular mobile instant messaging service WhatsApp is rolling out three new features in the coming months that promise to enhance user privacy and security.
The first is called Account Protect, a new measure for double-checking whether a user wants to switch their account to a new device.
“From now on, we may ask you on your old device to verify that you want to take this step as an extra security check,” WhatsApp said.
“This feature can help alert you to an unauthorised attempt to move your account to another device.”
The second new feature — Device Verification — seeks to protect users from mobile device malware while still allowing them to use their accounts.
“To help prevent this, we have added checks to help authenticate your account — with no action needed from you — and better protect you if your device is compromised,” WhatsApp said.
The feature appears to be aimed primarily at unofficial WhatsApp clients that can push malware to devices for advanced account takeovers.
Device Verification introduces three new parameters in message sending and receiving to prevent malware from stealing an account’s authentication key and connecting to the WhatsApp server from an external device.
These parameters are as follows:
- A security token that’s stored on the user’s device.
- A nonce is used to identify if a client is connecting to retrieve a message from the WhatsApp server.
- An authentication challenge that asynchronously pings the user’s device.
The final new feature is Automatic Security Codes, which improves upon WhatsApp’s existing security code verification system.
Previously, security-conscious users have been able to ensure their chats are reaching the intended recipient by manually going to an encryption tab under a contact’s info.
With the new Key Transparency process, users can automatically check that they have a secure connection.
“When you click on the encryption tab, you’ll be able to verify right away that your personal conversation is secured,” WhatsApp said.
In addition to the features above being introduced in the next few months, WhatsApp recommended that users turn on two existing features to enhance the security of their accounts — two-step verification and end-to-end encrypted backups.
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