Security challenges of messaging apps
Nowadays the issue of privacy and security in messengers arises more acutely.
Let`s see how traditional messengers are secured against being compromised:
Protection from reading. The user must be sure no one will read their chat, except for him and the recipient.
Interception protection. Often the messages are transmitted over the network in cleartext. HTTPS protocol does reduce the risk, but it is not a panacea against interceptions or Mitm-attacks.
Protection against server hacking. If a message successfully reaches the server, it does not mean that it is protected. The server can contain bookmarks, or can simply provide all chat history to interested parties.
The reliability and ubiquity of crypto protection. All the efforts of hackers will be in vain if the messages are encrypted with a reliable crypto-algorithm and if the keys are securely stored. Often, messengers’ encrypted communication channels can be stored in the database at the data encrypted messages. Crypto-protection can be taken into consideration only if the server does not process unencrypted data, and there is no possibility of decrypting it.
Protection against unauthorized sending. Users must be sure that only they can send messages from their personal accounts and that the messages will be delivered to the recipient unchanged.
Blocking protection. If the messenger is blocked it will become useless, no matter how secure it was.
Anonymity and privacy. Orwell`s 1984 used to be sci-fi, yet it became reality.
Today, the most secure apps in the world are blockchain wallets and their peers. Blockchain-based apps are decentralized, which makes them almost impossible to put down. The biggest disadvantage is that all the data is openly stored in the blockchain, which may compromise chats and wallets. However if it is stored in the blockchain as a ciphertext, there is no need to worry about its security.
Having to overcome these problems of modern communications in mind, we worked on our chat-wallet app Channels.
We have created an easy-to-use and secure messenger. It is not required to set up after installation, it works on every supported device “out of the box”. We worked hard, but still - it is not rocket science - modern technologies allowed us to make what we wanted.
We have taken all the best practices and combined them in Channels:
The app is empowered by blockchain, which secures the whole system.
Asymmetric encryption (we use Curve25519, Salsa20 and Poly1305-algorithms based NaCl library) - as protection against unauthorized reading of messages. The private key is known only to the user, which eliminates any possibility of reading the message by third parties. The public key is stored in a shared network itself.
Digital signature (we use NaCl library based on the algorithm Ed25519) which protects against unauthorized changes or sends messages during the delivery process. The public key digital signature is stored in the public domain in the network itself.
The blockchain and consensus algorithm code is OpenSource. It is made public as a means of protection from any hidden functions of the software.
Channels secures your confidential information using the following technologies:
Message encryption. The algorithm being used for this is based on elliptic curves.
The private key is stored in the user device only. It is not transmitted to the peer.
HTTPS protocol. Although the message are transmitted only in encrypted form, this measure is an additional guarantee of user anonymity.
The decentralized architecture allows to set up new peers, thus evading any blocking of the system.
User anonymity. It is impossible to track sent messages. A message gets to the network and proliferates to all the peers in the system. It is unknown where it came from and where it found its recipient.
Why do you need Channels?
We wanted to create the most convenient and secure way to send money and information from mobile devices. So we have created Channels, a blockchain-based chat-wallet.
Thanks to our EON blockchain you can now communicate with your contacts and transfer money in a single application. Secure for money, easy for users.
EON is our blockchain. It has taken us 4 years to develop it. Blockchain-based apps are decentralized, which makes them almost impossible to put down. The biggest disadvantage is that all the data is openly stored in the blockchain, what may compromise chats and wallets.
That`s why we created EON: before being distributed by blockchain, the data is encrypted. Encryption keys are stored only in your device - nobody will track and compromise your data.
Keep your personal info to yourself - our app does not ask for it
Channels does not gather any user information. Nevertheless, it uses two-factor authentication, which prevents any unauthorized access. We do not gather your information - we help you to secure it!
One app - unlimited possibilities
From the technical point of view, money transactions and sending messages in a chat are very alike. That`s why we combined these functions in one app, so you can create private chats and send money to your contacts, or you can create a news channel with pre-paid subscription.
Part of the ecosystem
EON blockchain platform is the fuel of all our products: from the crypto-fiat exchange to the mobile app, Channels. It enables Channels to exchange or send your money with lowest commissions on the market. You are literally connected to the exchange, using one simple mobile app!