Viber says it’s now encrypted, but won’t tell us how secure our chats are

Viber's encryption problems

What’s not immediately clear is what protocol Viber is using to protect its users. While end-to-end encryption is a great idea in theory, the reality of the matter is that not all encryption is created qual. Two other popular services, Signal and WhatsApp, allow you to compare key fingerprints with the other party, a feature Viber’s encryption method doesn’t seem to offer. Without this authentication method, you could conceivably be chatting with — or having your messages intercepted by — a third-party (called a man-in-the-middle attack). Another concern with the protocol is in the idea that some companies believe they can roll their own solution by understanding the basics of cryptography. The truth is, the best encryption protocols are studied, tested and generally (but not always) open source. Without an independent audit, we really have no choice but to trust the company when it says our messages are secure.