Google DeepMind Formally Verifies Signal Protocol Security Used by WhatsApp

The Signal protocol, the foundation of end-to-end encryption in Signal, WhatsApp, and Google Messages, has just received a new stamp of approval. An analysis from Google DeepMind says the protocol's security has been “formally verified.”

The work has been described as “a landmark development” in the world of messaging security.

Why the Signal protocol is the benchmark

The Signal protocol has long been considered the gold standard for end-to-end encrypted messaging. Edward Snowden is one of its most vocal advocates. Its reputation was already strong, so news of a formal verification is quite interesting.

Formal verification basically means proving mathematically that a system meets the security properties it claims to have. What has been verified here is the protocol itself.

What it means for messaging app users

The same protocol runs in three major apps: Signal, WhatsApp, and Google Messages. That means the result touches a huge number of users. WhatsApp in particular is widely used for both personal and business messaging, so the protocol behind it now has stronger proof backing it up.

The source text we worked from only contains an opening summary and cuts off. Details about the method and the scope of the analysis are not covered here.