Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
SL;DR
- Apple has added advanced security features to iMessage.
- This is called iMessage Contact Key Verification and allows users to verify that they are only sending messages to people they want to chat with.
- This feature also alerts users if someone starts eavesdropping on their messages.
Apple’s iMessage is probably one of the most popular messaging apps out there. While it’s limited to iOS users and hasn’t let the Android crowd down yet, it offers some of the best chat features and security. End-to-end encryption has been a part of iMessage since the service’s launch, but Apple is making it even more secure with a new feature.
Called iMessage Contact Key Verification, the security feature for Apple’s chat app will allow users to verify that they are only sending messages with people they want to talk to.
Users who have enabled iMessage Contact Key Verification will receive an automatic alert if a “highly sophisticated adversary”, such as a state-sponsored attacker, ever manages to penetrate cloud servers and eavesdrop on encrypted iMessage conversations.
We know what you’re thinking – “This thing could never happen to me.” You may be right. iMessage’s advanced security features may be overkill for everyday people like us, but Apple says it’s meant for “users facing extraordinary digital threats — such as journalists, human rights activists, and members of government.” If you fall into that group, this might be an important feature for you.
Apple doesn’t go into many details about how Contact Key Verification will work when it launches in 2023. However, the company says that users who enable it will be able to compare Contact Verification Codes in person, via FaceTime (i.e. also end-to-end encrypted), and through secure calls. other.
