E2EMail, an experimental end-to-end encryption system developed by Google, was just made available for open-source usage. “E2EMail is not a Google product, it’s now a fully community-driven open source project, to which passionate security engineers from across the industry have already contributed”, the company wrote in a blog post.
E2EMail was built on a JavaScript crypto library which was internally developed. The service makes it possible to implement OpenPGP into Gmail through a Google Chrome browser extension, and as a result the cleartext is preserved entirely on the client. By making it open-source, the E2Email code is now available as a repository on GitHub.
Related: WhatsApp’s End-to-End Encryption Prone to SS7 Vulnerabilities
More about OpenPGP, in Google’s Words
E2EMail in its current incarnation uses a bare-bones central keyserver for testing, but the recent Key Transparency announcement is crucial to its further evolution. Key discovery and distribution lie at the heart of the usability challenges that OpenPGP implementations have faced. Key Transparency delivers a solid, scalable, and thus practical solution, replacing the problematic web-of-trust model traditionally used with PGP.
Why Do We Need End-to-End Encryption?
For people who are concerned with privacy, end-to-end encryption is the answer to all prayers. This type of encryption protects data and communications by making it available only to the communicating parties and safeguarding it against various eavesdroppers (such as telecom and Internet providers, governments, etc.).
Related: 8 Million GitHub Profiles Exposed Due to Vulnerability in Another Service
The need for end-to-end encryption should not be underestimated. Let’s not forget what happened with Edward Snowden and the revelations about the NSA. Considering how vulnerable we are to privacy interference, the number of services embracing end-to-end encryption should be growing by the hour.
Milena Dimitrova
An inspired writer and content manager who has been with SensorsTechForum since the project started. A professional with 10+ years of experience in creating engaging content. Focused on user privacy and malware development, she strongly believes in a world where cybersecurity plays a central role. If common sense makes no sense, she will be there to take notes. Those notes may later turn into articles! Follow Milena @Milenyim
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