Google switching from SMS to RCS end-to-end encryption for its default messaging app

Rich communication services, a successor to SMS, has been adopted by Apple’s iMessage as well.

Agencies
A timeline for the update’s rollout has not been fixed, but Google has previously said that it is likely to happen in 2020.
Google Messages may be moving towards end-to-end encryption for RCS, according to an analysis of the app by APKMirror, a platform for developers to post new developments. Rich communication services (RCS) is the successor to SMS as a message protocol, and has been adopted by apps like Signal and Apple’s iMessage.

As more developers switch to RCS for their products, cellular carriers have had to transition to the new standard. Cellular operators in the United States said they’ll offer RCS by the end of 2020.

In India, the default application on Android smartphones uses SMS, while Apple has RCS-enabled iMessage for chats between iPhone users. Cross-platform text messages revert back to SMS. Google first unveiled RCS chat in 2018 and said it’d become Android’s primary texting platform.


The internal build of Google Messages v. 6.2 analysed by APKMirror found 12 new strings that pertain to encryption. However, they said the information was insufficient to gauge whether both the sender and receiver will need the app for RCS end-to-end encryption to be effective.

The code sequence suggests that Google might incorporate a setting that allows users to decide if they want to grant permission to other apps, including third-party ones, to have access to see encrypted messages. A timeline for the update’s rollout has not been fixed, but Google has previously said that it is likely to happen in 2020.

Safety Nets, Cookie Control & Secure DNS: Follow These Simple Google Chrome Hacks To Keep Data Safe
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Google Chrome, in all probability, might be the most commonly-used browser, but it has been at the centre of criticism due to controversial changes, security problems and data concerns.

From Chrome 79 accidentally deleting data for Android users in December 2019, Chrome 80’s ‘high level vulnerabilities’ that put data at risk to the controversial deep linking upgrade in February 2020 that allegedly compromised on privacy, Chrome has often left its users worried about their safety and security.

However, Chrome has now put all the privacy and security concerns to rest with its new upgrade. A blog post on Google’s website titled, ‘More intuitive privacy and security controls in Chrome’, breaks down the security updates in detail. Here are some of them:

Google Chrome, in all probability, might be the most commonly-used browser, but it has been at the centre of criticism due to controversial changes, security problems and data concerns.From Chrome 79..
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Most of us use the incognito mode in Google Chrome for private browsing. The USP of Google’s incognito mode is that it does not save history, information entered by the user in forms or browser cookies. The good folks at Google have now decided to take security and privacy in incognito mode a notch higher.

You can now control whether you wish to allow third-party cookies in incognito mode. Chrome will now block third-party cookies by default in incognito mode. If you wish to allow third-party cookies for specific sites, you can click the ‘eye’ sign on the address bar.

The feature, as per Google’s blog, will be gradually rolled out. For the uninitiated, third-party cookies allow websites to track a user across the web. With Chrome’s new update, you can keep your information secure by blocking these cookies.

Most of us use the incognito mode in Google Chrome for private browsing. The USP of Google’s incognito mode is that it does not save history, information entered by the user in forms or browser cooki..
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Security attacks such as phishing and malware have become quite common on the internet. To combat the menace, Google Chrome now has a security update that users can opt for. Called ‘Enhanced Safe Browsing’, this security upgrade will allow Chrome to proactively detect phishing attacks, malware and other web based threats.

Chrome will do this by proactively checking if pages and downloads are dangerous by sending information about them to Google Safe Browsing.

Going forward, Google will also add more protections to this upgrade such as tailored warnings for phishing sites, file downloads, cross product alerts and more.

Security attacks such as phishing and malware have become quite common on the internet. To combat the menace, Google Chrome now has a security update that users can opt for. Called ‘Enhanced Safe Bro..
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Another security upgrade that Chrome has come up to protect your privacy is ‘Secure DNS’.

When we enter a website in the address bar of the browser, it first needs to determine which server is hosting the website. This step is called DNS (Domain Name System) lookup.

Google Chrome’s Secure DNS feature will encrypt this step using ‘DNS-over-HTTPS’. This will not allow the attackers to find out which website you want to visit and they won’t be able to send you phishing webpages.

Another security upgrade that Chrome has come up to protect your privacy is ‘Secure DNS’. When we enter a website in the address bar of the browser, it first needs to determine which server is hostin..
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Apart from introducing strong security measures to keep attackers at bay, Google has also developed a safety net for its users. With the help of a safety check in Chrome, you can make sure that your data is safe.

For starters, Chrome has come up with a new tool that will tell you if the passwords that you have asked Chrome to remember have been compromised and if so, how to fix it.

Secondly, Chrome will raise a red flag if ‘Safe Browsing’, Google’s technology to warn you when you are about to access a dangerous website, has been turned off.

The safety check tool will also help you determine if you are using the latest version of Google Chrome. It will also let you know if malicious extensions have been installed and how to remove them.



Apart from introducing strong security measures to keep attackers at bay, Google has also developed a safety net for its users. With the help of a safety check in Chrome, you can make sure that your ..
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