WhatsApp rolls out end-to-end encryption

Mobile messaging application WhatsApp will soon offer end-to-end decryption by default to its more than 600 million users.

The built-in encryption protocol is currently only available to Android users, but will soon will be available to all users as a default service, the company said.

WhatsApp teamed up with Open Whisper Systems to begin integrating the non-profit's TextSecure software into its various platforms.

WhatsApp previously stored the keys that unscramble a user's communications on the company's servers as well as a user's device. 

The TextSecure encryption protocol uses forward secrecy and stores the keys on the user's phone only.

Although some encryption capabilities have already been rolled out on the Android app, the update doesn't yet encrypt group chat or media messages.

The move follows decisions by both Google and Apple to automatically enable encryption on the latest versions of their mobile operating systems.

This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com