London: Hackers were able to remotely install surveillance software on phones and other devices by using a major vulnerability in the WhatsApp messaging app. Targets received video or voice call requests from an unknown number – which even if ignored, allowed the spyware, known as Pegasus, to be installed on the device. This allowed users to remotely access everything on the phone, including text messages and location.
WhatsApp has filed a lawsuit against Israeli firm NSO Group, alleging it was behind the cyber-attacks that infected devices in April and May. Even though, NSO Group says it only works with government agencies, the WhatsApp users are concerned about the privacy and data security.
WhatsApp currently has some 1.5 billion users, 450 million of whom use it daily to send text messages, share images and video, and make phone and video calls. WhatsApp is used widely not just by consumers but also by businesses and governments for sensitive conversations involving confidential information and other data that could even end up being used in a court of law.
Now the main concern of WhatsApp users is privacy. Millions of users around the world are finding alternative services. The majority of WhatsApp “privacy refugees” are shifting to Blackberry Enterprise App (BBMe), a Modern, Secure Messaging Platform that Protects Your Privacy.
Blackberry Enterprise (BBMe) is the ideal communications platform for working professionals, with its end-to-end encryption on multiple endpoints, robust privacy policies and enterprise-grade features. It doesn’t track your contacts, where you’re messaging from, or what you’re sharing and discussing. Create a closed social circle by establishing contact relationships through an invitation request and accept process (via email, NFC or PIN).
The sender and recipient each have unique public/private encryption and signing keys. These keys are generated on the device by a FIPS 140-2 certified cryptographic library and are not controlled by BlackBerry. Each message uses a new symmetric key for message encryption. Secure end-to-end signing and encryption protects all BBMe messages from eavesdropping or manipulation. Additionally, TLS encryption protects the connections between the device and BlackBerry’s infrastructure.
BBMe is available for Android™, iOS, Windows®, and macOS devices.
By Ansif Ashraf (www.ansif.com)