In a blog post, on 13th April 2023, WhatsApp talked about introducing three new security features for the app. These would make WhatsApp safer, offer extra layers of privacy, more control over messages, and protect against potential threats. The features are device verification, account protect, and automatic security codes.
Suggested read: WhatsApp’s New Features Give More Control to Group Admins
Device verification
One of the biggest threats to mobile devices and people’s privacy or security is malware. They take control of the phone and certain apps without your knowledge and permission. Malware can start sending unwanted messages to your WhatsApp contacts.
To avoid such situations, WhatsApp added checks to authenticate individual WhatsApp accounts. The users do not need to take any action from their end. This shall offer better protection if your phone is compromised. You can continue to use WhatsApp uninterrupted with this feature in place.
Account protect
This is additional security provided to your WhatsApp account when you plan to switch to another device and install WhatsApp on it. WhatsApp may verify on your old device and ask for confirmation if you want to change to a newer one. This feature is protection against unauthorized attempts to use your number from another device or move your WhatsApp account to another phone.
Automatic security codes
The security code verification feature has always been helpful. It allows security-conscious users to ensure that they are chatting with the intended people. This can be found by checking the Encryption tab under the contact’s information. However, to make things easier and more accessible, WhatsApp is introducing a security feature based on the “Key Transparency” process.
This process allows for the automatic verification of security codes to ensure a secure connection. Thus, to check, just click on the encryption tab and verify right away to ascertain that your conversations are encrypted and secured.
Also read: All About the New Features Being Rolled Out by WhatsApp for iOS and Android Users
WhatsApp also mentioned end-to-end encryption in the blog. They wrote, “It is among the most widely used deployments of end-to-end encryption and relies on public key cryptography first developed in the 1970s.” End-to-end encryption is the basis of private messaging on platforms like WhatsApp. This process ensures that nobody else in between, even the messaging platforms, can read messages between senders and receivers.
