WhatsApp hack: Major security bug shows there is a risk to everyone using chat apps

Analysis: The security of any particular app is the same for all those who use it, which means that the degree to which we actually rely on that security is irrelevant to its effectiveness

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WhatsApp has been hit by a major hack that allowed anyone exploiting it to break into phones and read people’s messages just by making a phone call.

The security flaw has brought attention to the kinds of risks inherent in messaging apps, and the way those hazards are ever-present, even in the most secure of platforms.

WhatsApp has long stressed its commitment to privacy: its founders were clear from their outset that their aim was to keep messages from being read by anyone except those for whom they were intended. In practice, that has translated (among other smart solutions) into the development of encryption technology that allows messages to be scrambled up as they are sent between phones, stopping them from being intercepted.