https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9097-2246
1. Few backs earlier I wrote a post about Security Issues in Whatsapp here. Now exactly on the same lines there is a proven issue on Wechat....
2. WeChat gained an immediate success the moment it was launched few months back in India.Every one was so happy to adopt it in their respective androids but it seems that the application is not so secure as hackers have been able to bypass the security mechanism to decrypt the messages sent using the app and China could be potentially spying on Indian citizens...
3. Rest ditto from Parity news at http://www.paritynews.com/2013/08/26/2487/wechat-is-a-threat-to-national-security-claim-researchers/
According to a couple of young researchers, Jiten Jain and Abhay Agarwal, the free messaging app doesn’t employ the best of encryption and security technologies, which leaves personal information of its users vulnerable to theft. To prove their point the researchers went onto demonstrate the ease with which the messages sent using WeChat can be decrypted, indirectly indicating that foreign governments could be doing the same thing for spying and surveillance purposes.
The researchers were discussing the potential risks to privacy of users because of surveillance techniques employed by service provides across the globe at The Hackers Conference in New Delhi India on August 25. The researcher duo claimed that app from Chinese Internet Giant Tencent is threat to national security.
Jain and Agarwal claimed that not only can the Chinese government access the chat logs, but they can also access each and every detail about users stored in their smartphones – ranging from contact lists, messages, calls, geographic locations, etc.
One of other points raised at the conference was that the Indian Government is not able to successfully utilize the vast potential of security researchers in India. The Government has failed to secure its websites never mind the security of the whole nation. Researchers present at the conference stressed for the need of raising awareness about security within government establishments and masses in general.
Researches urged the government to strengthen the security of its websites as well as digital data by grooming in-house security experts as well as by availing help from industry experts present in India.
According to a couple of young researchers, Jiten Jain and Abhay Agarwal, the free messaging app doesn’t employ the best of encryption and security technologies, which leaves personal information of its users vulnerable to theft. To prove their point the researchers went onto demonstrate the ease with which the messages sent using WeChat can be decrypted, indirectly indicating that foreign governments could be doing the same thing for spying and surveillance purposes.
The researchers were discussing the potential risks to privacy of users because of surveillance techniques employed by service provides across the globe at The Hackers Conference in New Delhi India on August 25. The researcher duo claimed that app from Chinese Internet Giant Tencent is threat to national security.
Jain and Agarwal claimed that not only can the Chinese government access the chat logs, but they can also access each and every detail about users stored in their smartphones – ranging from contact lists, messages, calls, geographic locations, etc.
One of other points raised at the conference was that the Indian Government is not able to successfully utilize the vast potential of security researchers in India. The Government has failed to secure its websites never mind the security of the whole nation. Researchers present at the conference stressed for the need of raising awareness about security within government establishments and masses in general.
Researches urged the government to strengthen the security of its websites as well as digital data by grooming in-house security experts as well as by availing help from industry experts present in India.
4. In fact the duo did not hold back to say that it is a severe national threat...and I agree to their view...but who cares!!!!elections are coming...we are not even bothered about so many internal threats...external is out of purview!!!!!SAD.
I would like to disagree on the contention that it gained success after it was launched. Here are my suspicions.
ReplyDeleteSome stupid apps do find their way in the top free and top grossing of Google Play Store. Which leads me to believe them to be on the same lines as sponsored results in google search.
Its one of the rare android app which is advertised on TV. Must have attracted lots of users who are also using WhatsApp and will continue to use WhatsApp as their primary mode of communication.
People use chatting for fun, whereas file sharing is used for serious business.
It must have peaked up as a new app, with instant popularity. But not that much what it is portraying itself to be.
Regarding the security concerns and Chinese agenda, well I have felt earlier that it is a chinese govt sponsored app.
patil sir,,,from success I mean the kind of surface it gained amongst the college and school guys...who form a great percentage from point of view of adoption and usage....recently i was at amity at a guest lecture and asked the guys about how many of you have wechat on your mobiles and their were about 10 hands which were not up in the 500 plus crowd...and its not just amity...it's around in every youngster's mobile!!!!off course the overall percentage of usage might have a sponsored associated percentile included!!!
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