Privacy and security are two topics that have gained importance as of late. Albeit Internet users should have respected these values quite some time ago, it has taken several data breaches and other hacks before consumers saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The Pretty Easy Privacy tool, which focuses on encrypted communication, has gone through its first audit.
A Major Milestone For Pretty Easy Privacy
One of the primary reasons why most Internet users do not take privacy seriously is because there is no easy way to use encrypted solutions at all times. Some major platforms, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, use end-to-end encryption by default so that the user no longer has to worry about it, but in most other cases some effort is needed.
Thankfully, there are initiatives underway to promote the use of privacy measures at any time. Pretty Easy Privacy, an open-sourced tool focusing on promoting encrypted communication, will be released to the public in the coming months. Before that happens, however, several security audits will need to be performed.
The first of those audits has been completed successfully and was conducted by German company SektionEins. During this process the auditor reviewed nearly 10,000 lines of code for any issues, problems, or things that could be improved. With the project’s engine being the main point of focus, a thorough look is most certainly warranted.
It is interesting to note that the code reviewing process originally started during the Summer of 2015, even though the majority of this work was only completed one year later. As one would come to expect from a security audit, a few vulnerabilities were discovered. Seven of those are “moderate”, whereas four are seen as critical flaws that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Any project that wants to set new standards for the general public will require proper audits by different parties. While SektionEins has done a good job spotting these issues, someone else will have to look over the code once the problems have been addressed. A fresh look at things is always a good thing, particularly when it pertains to privacy and communication.
Once the audit was completed, the Outlook-version of Pretty Easy Privacy received an update. The iOS version is still under development and should be released in the next 24 months. All apps, add-ons, and other services not linked to the engine itself will undergo separate audits as well.
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