Some ICT experts on Thursday in Abuja said no information could be 100 per cent secured from a third-party including encrypted messages.
Encryption is defined as the process of converting information and data into a code, especially to prevent unauthorised access.
The ICT experts were reacting to the terrorist attack in Westminster in British as the government revealed that WhatsApp encrypted message was used by the killer before he attacked behind the parliament.
The British government had therefore decided that its security services must have access to encrypted messaging applications such as WhatsApp.
Mr Mike Amanyi, an Information Communication Technology (ICT) said that in spite the fact that individuals required security on the information sent on their social media platforms, there could still be a level of intrusion.
“When people send encrypted messages, especially on their social media platforms, the information is protected and can be accessed by the two parties sending the message.
“It is also important to note that sending encrypted messages between parties should be among people that know and understand the information sent.
“When an encrypted message is sent, there should be de-cryption message also sent for the receiver to access the information.
“But there are also ethical hackers, that is people trained to access encrypted messages because no information is 100 per cent secured,” he said.
Amanyi, the Chief Executive Officer of Sawtel Technologies, Lagos, added that interference on an individual’s encrypted message could be deployed when the information sent posed a security threat to the society.
He said that similarly, developers of social media platforms had a level of encryption.
“By default developers of social media platforms have a level of encryption.
“Facebook has a level of encryption but it is not as strong as what Whatsapp has.
“Messages on Facebook can be saved on your internet cache while messages on Whatsapp are not saved anywhere.
“Once you delete any information from your Whatsapp platform, it is gone.”
Amanyi, however, noted that individuals encrypting the message on their social media platforms could be advised if the means of accessing the information was easy.
Mr Gideon Ayogu, the Head, Corporate Communications, Yudala, an online and offline retail firm said that encryption ensured privacy but could be altered.
Ayogu said that the terrorist attack that which took place in Westminster stimulated the British government on to encourage its security services to have access to encrypted messaging applications such as WhatsApp.
According to him, access to these encrypted messages by a third-party may mean less privacy for people.
“WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption ensures only you and the person you are communicating with can read what is sent and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp.
“Your messages are secured with a lock and only the recipient and you, have the special key needed to unlock and read your message.
“For added protection, every message you send has a unique lock and key. All of this happens automatically, no need to turn on settings or set up special secret chats to secure your messages,’’ he said.
WhatsApp was created in 2009 as an alternative to text messaging, is today one of the world’s most popular instant messaging service with more than one billion users in 180 countries.
(NAN)
