The GSM Association (GSMA) has formally announced support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for securing messages sent via the Rich Communications Services (RCS) protocol, bringing much-needed security protections to cross-platform messages shared between Android and iOS platforms.
To that end, the new GSMA specifications for RCS include E2EE based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol via what’s called the RCS Universal Profile 3.0.
Protect your privacy by Mullvad VPN. Mullvad VPN is one of the famous brands in the security and privacy world. With Mullvad VPN you will not even be asked for your email address. No log policy, no data from you will be saved. Get your license key now from the official distributor of Mullvad with discount: SerialCart® (Limited Offer).
➤ Get Mullvad VPN with 12% Discount
“The new specifications define how to apply MLS within the context of RCS,” Tom Van Pelt, technical director of GSMA, said. “These procedures ensure that messages and other content such as files remain confidential and secure as they travel between clients.”
This also means that RCS will be the first “large-scale messaging service” to have support for interoperable E2EE between different client implementations from different providers in the near future.
It’s worth noting that Google’s own implementation of RCS, used in the Messages app for Android, secures conversations using the Signal protocol to address the lack of built-in E2EE protections. That said, the encryption safeguards are currently limited to messages exchanged via the app, and not those exchanged with the iOS Messages users or users of other RCS clients on Android.
The development comes nearly six months after the GSMA said it was working towards implementing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to secure messages sent between the Android and iOS ecosystems. The move followed Apple’s decision to roll out support for RCS in its own Messages app with iOS 18.
In July 2023, Google revealed that it intends to add support for MLS to its Messages service and open-source implementation of the specification.
“RCS continues to support a range of interoperable messaging functions between iOS and Android users, such as group messaging, the ability to share high-resolution media, and see read receipts and typing indicators,” Van Pelt said.
When reached for comment, Google said, “We’ve always been committed to providing a secure messaging experience, and Google Messages users have had end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS messaging for years. We’re excited to have this updated specification from GSMA and work as quickly as possible with the mobile ecosystem to implement and extend this important user protection to cross-platform RCS messaging.”
Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.
Some parts of this article are sourced from:
thehackernews.com
Live Ransomware Demo: See How Hackers Breach Networks and Demand a Ransom