With the development of new technologies, Internet users have acquired numerous tools through which they can perform different actions and tasks in a simpler way. One of these tools consists of instant messaging applications that allow chatting with any other user. regardless of the distance at which it is located.
However, like all online services, most apps instant messenger have disclosed certain security and privacy gaps. Therefore, experts in the field recommend encrypt these kinds of conversations or communicate through encrypted messages. In order to avoid leaving your data confidential in the hands of malicious third parties.
Faced with this need, a utility called “Crypto.Cat” comes up which is currently known as “Verifpal”. Which, basically, consists of a free software app for encrypt chat conversations. Given its usefulness, it is worth knowing what it is about, what are the advantages it provides, what risks exist in modern chat services and how you can encrypt a chat using Verifpal.
What is Verifpal and what is this encryption tool for?
While it is true, Verifpal formerly known as “Cryptocat”, refers to a new free software or web application that is designed to support online conversations, fully encrypted and secure. So, it conforms to the verification of the security of the relevant cryptographic protocols.
In this sense, basically, it consists of an app that takes care of encrypt chats on the client or user side. In this way, it encodes all the data under an algorithm so that cannot be intercepted or read by prying eyes, thanks to the fact that they are no longer in their original format, by default.
Therefore, Verifpal is an encryption utility that serves to guarantee confidentiality and authentication to users. In other words, with the use of this tool, people can be safe when sending any type of information from an instant messaging service, without having any vulnerability that goes against its integrity. Well, it is an advanced security service.
What are the benefits of using Verifpal to encrypt your online conversations?
Despite the fact that, nowadays, there are several applications that have been designed to encrypt your online conversations and thus prevent your privacy from being affected; the truth is, Verifpal is considered one of the most powerful that exist, until now.
This means that it is a tool that provides notable benefits to Internet users and, below, we mention which are the most relevant:
- It is a messaging application protected with OTR protocol. Which increases the security of conversations thanks to the fact that it supports mutual authentication between users, backs up messages with a temporary AES key, it does not allow to reread the chat and does not reveal risks regarding the falsification of messages.
- Fortunately, Verifpal is a tool that accept multiple users in a single chat room. Therefore, it allows to establish more effective conversations online and with the greatest possible security, at the same time.
- It has a totally friendly and integrated software. Taking into account that, it comes with an extension of Visual Studio Code and therefore offers live query analysis, protocol diagram visualizations, syntax highlighting, and more.
- Due to its functionality based on identity verification, Verifpal is able to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Reason why, no third party will have the power to read, insert and modify the messages sent at will.
- Its built-in cryptographic functions are fully optimized for users. Thus, it does not allow such people to define their own cryptographic rules and thereby suppresses the possibility that illegitimate individuals succeed in stalking their victims by defining fundamental cryptographic operations. wrong way.
- Currently, this service provides a higher level of security which is possible thanks to the formalization of its methodology of syntax, semantics and analysis.
Security risks in modern chat services What should I worry about when speaking on WhatsApp or Telegram?
On a regular basis, Internet users choose to use applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram at the time of establish conversations online. Since they are classified as the main services to carry out this type of action with great comfort and therefore, They are platforms that have managed to massify in a remarkable way. Which is why few users focus on analyzing whether these modern chat services, reveal some risks in terms of safety or not.
Thus, unfortunately, it is necessary to know that, according to studies, it has been shown that the majority of instant messaging applications They can compromise the security of the information that users handle through them. Which means that, they present certain privacy gaps that are dangerous for all the people who prefer to use these platforms.
For example, WhatsApp is a service that has been flagged by seize confidential information from your customers. Since, by default, it accesses all the contact phones that you store on your device, regardless of whether they are not users of the app. Further, has allowed the access of different malware and constantly makes copies of the information that is shared there.
For its part, in the case of Telegram, although it guarantees some advantages in terms of safety, it also reveals risks in this regard. Since, its functionalities designed to offer functionality, are not infallible and apart from that, it has been indicated as a service that it damages the synchronization of contacts, thus affecting the safety of many people.
Having said all the above, it is time to point out the main risks that you should worry about when sharing messages or calls using WhatsApp or Telegram, in order to create awareness about it:
- At the beginning of 2019, it was discovered that there is a worrisome vulnerability in WhatsApp. Since, the platform allowed spyware to be installed just by taking advantage of a VoIP call, without leaving any trace.
- In the case of Telegram, It is characterized by encrypting your chats with the same protocol MTProto. Which, only encrypt messages while they are in transit and therefore only protects the connection between the server and the user.
- To establish communication via WhatsApp, You must use your phone number and this is a private and personal data that could put your integrity at risk from untrustworthy users.
- Technically, Telegram forces its users to trust the secure storage mechanisms that it handles, as well as its privacy policy and security measures. This, it is inadvisable for people.
CryptoCat Why is this service said to have mocked the NSA?
In case you didn’t know yet, Nadim Kobeissi, the developer of Cryptocat was arrested and questioned by the DHS or “United States Department of Homeland Security” on the border of that country in mid-2012. This, due to resistance to censorship with which he mocked the NSA.
In this sense, it is said that this application went beyond the laws of the NSA by do not use appropriate entropy sources in their previous versions. Reason why, it was widely questioned in terms of security and privacy. However, this scandal only succeeded in will increase the popularity of CryptoCat by spreading through Twitter and leading to global media coverage.
Learn step by step how to encrypt a conversation with Verifpal from scratch
Now in order to take advantage of the benefits that Verifpal provides in terms of security and privacy, it is important that you learn to encrypt a chat with this utility from scratch.
That is why, to conclude this post, we explain step by step what you have to do to obtain said encryption:
Download Verifpal on your computer
Fortunately, this tool has compatibility with Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux and FreeBSD. Thus, in order to download the latest version of this application, you simply have to enter the official website of the service: “verifpal.com”. If you are using a Windows PC, keep in mind that this tool is available through the package manager Scoop 1. On the other hand, if you use MacOS or Linux, you must get Verifpal from package manager Homebrew 2.
Download Verifpal Windows
Install Verifpal manually
First of all, it is necessary to take into account that, there is no specific procedure to install Verifpalas it corresponds to a command line application. However, to facilitate installation and use, it is recommended add it to your operating system’s PATH command.
Therefore, on Windows computers, you will have to open the Explorer, enter the dialog box Run Y write the term “cmd”. Next, go to the folder that has the Verifpal file and proceed to select it. If you use a machine MacOS, Linux or FreeBSD, you only have to open a terminal and enter the folder that contains Verifpal.
Taking into account that, you can also copy the tool file to a folder within the PATH system, as follows:
cp verifpal / usr / local / bin / verifpal
With this, you will have the possibility to write “Verifpal” from any folder to run the application faster.
Run Verifpal
Then, when you run the app, you will see a screen showing some options, as a result.
These options refer to:
- Verify: It is a point that takes a .vp file as a parameter and, by default, contains a model for verification.
- Proverif: This produces a ProVerif model that builds on the given Verifpal model. It is considered useful for a more detailed analysis.
- Coq: Refers to a parameter that generates a Cog model based on the original Verifpal model. It is optimal for undertaking further analysis.
- Implement: Deals with providing a software implementation of the protocol described in the .vp file.
- Pretty: Simply, it takes care of generating an attractive printed version of the .vp model it provides and this gives you much more readability.
Once you get all these options as a result, you can confirm that the Verifpal application is ready to be used on your computer and with it, you can start encrypt your conversations.