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Signal Under the Hood — What Activists & Journalists Need to Know About the Risks Beyond Encryption
- Signal is a widely trusted messaging app, but understanding its vulnerabilities beyond encryption is crucial for activists and journalists.
- Signal's centralized servers in the US make it subject to US laws, potentially exposing data to legal demands like National Security Letters.
- The closed-source spam filter in Signal introduces a trust element, deviating from the open-source security principle.
- Signal Desktop poses security risks with unencrypted attachments, database key vulnerabilities, and potential exposure of data on the hard drive.
- Metadata like delivery receipts and jurisdictional issues raise concerns for activists and journalists using Signal.
- The funding origins of Signal and governance connections raise questions about independence and susceptibility to influence.
- Security threats like device compromise and adversaries using spyware like Pegasus highlight the limitations of encrypted communication tools.
- For high-risk users, minimizing desktop use, protecting data at rest, verifying safety numbers, and utilizing secure devices are essential practices.
- Signal's encryption protects message content in transit, but considerations like metadata, jurisdiction, and spyware risks must be part of the security analysis.
- Balancing Signal's strengths with its vulnerabilities, especially in high-risk scenarios, requires a comprehensive security strategy beyond relying solely on the app.
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