WhatsApp finally protects its weakest point

First, WhatsApp protected the privacy of its users by allowing them to hide profile information from strangers. Or eliminating the double blue check of read confirmation. Then came the great leap in security, with an application well corseted within an encryption system that not even government intelligence services can break. But WhatsApp continued to maintain a focus of danger in its chats. Or, more specifically, in your backup copiesInformation so far not encrypted, although difficult to capture, but that could jeopardize all shared messages. Well, it seems that this weak point is beginning to have a solution.

And, once again, WABetaInfo has discovered WhatsApp's plans in the medium and long term. And it seems that these go through protecting their users' backups before uploading them to Google Drive Where they are saved daily (by default) to ensure that, even if change mobile or get lost, messages will always be available in the most up-to-date way possible.

Password for backup

The function, which is still in alpha phase of development (very early stage), will arrive in the future under the name Password protect Backup, or backup protection password. When you do so, you will allow the user to encrypt this content with a passwordIn other words, it is necessary to establish a code or password by which the backup copy is sent to Google Drive. And the same to recover it.

In this way, the user and only the user will be able to retrieve their messages by entering this password that only that person knows. This leaves WhatsApp itself out of the game, which will not be able to read messages or access the backup at any time if it is protected, nor Google by storing these files on its servers. In other words, one more security layer to try to leave the user's information only for him or her and for whoever they want to share it with.

Solving past problems

One of WhatsApp's major security problems was due to backup copies.These files collect all the messages received and sent by the user in question. All your information. And although the messages are protected with encryption, the files where they are collected, these backup copies, did not receive the same treatment

In this situation, hackers are able to access the mobile and recover the files. A problem that is still in force, but that will greatly limit things by protecting the user when the copies leave the mobile In this way neither the big companies nor the hackers who do not have direct contact with the terminal can spy on your conversations. There will be a new barrier thanks to the function WhatsApp is working on.

When will it arrive

This is the big mystery for now. WhatsApp takes things easy when it comes to launching new features. We have seen it with the dark mode that was released in its beta version several weeks ago, and that has not yet arrived for all users.Presumably because there will be a general release for all platforms. And it is possible that the issue of the encryption of backup copies is going the same way.

At the moment we know that the alpha stage of development of this function will still involve medium or long-term work for its implementation. In other words, we do not expect backup protection to come to WhatsApp anytime soon. We will have to wait for the relevant tests to allow them to release the feature first in their test pool or beta version And from there be even more patient until the function lands for everyone on WhatsApp.