How to Protect Your Privacy with End-to-End Encryption
by Lyndon Doyle - Wed 12 Jul 2023What is End-to-End Encryption?
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a type of encryption that ensures that only the intended recipients of a message can read it. This means that even if someone intercepts the message in transit, they will not be able to decrypt it and read the contents.
You’ll find this is used in a variety of applications, including email, messaging, file sharing, and voice calls and is available by default. Amongst a lot of programs and apps it has become a standard in a world when privacy is important to individuals and businesses alike.
How Does E2EE Work?
This works by encrypting the message at the sender's end using a key pair. The public key is used to encrypt the message, and the private key is used to decrypt it. The public key is shared with the recipient, but the private key is kept secret.
When the message is sent, it is encrypted using the recipient's public key. Only the recipient's private key can decrypt the message, so even if someone intercepts the message in transit, they will not be able to read it.
What are the Benefits of E2EE?
There are many benefits to using this include:
- Increased privacy: Can ensure that only the intended recipients of a message can read it. This can help to protect your privacy and security.
- Reduced risk of interception: Makes it much more difficult for someone to intercept a message in transit. This can help to protect your sensitive information from being stolen.
- Increased trust: Helps establish trust between you and those you communicate with, because you can be confident that your messages are being sent and received securely.
How to Use E2EE
There are several ways to use End to End Encryption, some popular applications include:
Signal: Signal is a free and open-source messaging app
It uses E2EE as standard but within the settings for each user you can “Verify Safety Number” and get them to scan the unique QR code on your screen, once done you have the peace of mind knowing when you hear from that user it isn’t an imposter.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp is a popular messaging app that offers E2EE for its messages and calls
In s similar standing if you click on a person’s image within a chat halfway down the list is Encryption, tap on this and get that user to scan your unique QR code with their phone to verify messages and calls between you both are end-to-end encrypted
Microsoft 365 and Outlook for file and email encryption
Files on a computer using SharePoint can have BitLocker installed, SSL is used when files are transferred between machine and Server Storage, beyond this keys to access the data are split into 3 and stored in separate spaces, essentially if you don’t have the authorisation or access you won’t get to access the file, this is all done in the background.
When using an E3 license or above with Microsoft 365 you can have regular emails converted from readable plain text to scrambled cipher text and use the Encrypt button to send either S/MIME encrypted messages providing the recipient has a mail application which supports it, like Outlook, or use Microsoft 365 Message Encryption for those who also have Microsoft 365.
Adobe Creative Cloud
When using their Enterprise portals for Creative or Document Cloud you can use a dedicated Encryption Key when sharing your content with external teams, then should you need to you can revoke access at a moment’s notice.
You’ll find there are many Programs and Apps with certain countries having a preference, Sweden finds a higher number of users have an App called Wire and in Japan Line is the preferred choice for example.
End-to-end encryption is an important tool for protecting your privacy and security online. If you are concerned about your online privacy, then you should consider applications which will not only support your needs but provide this extra layer of security to give you that peace of mind.
We hope this blog post has been informative. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mark One Consultants if you have any questions. Email info@markone.co.uk, or call 01935 411319.
