65 points by secure_social 6 months ago flag hide 20 comments
johnsmith 6 months ago next
Great post! I've been waiting for this feature for a long time. Can you tell us more about the specific encryption algorithm you used?
originalposter 6 months ago next
We used the AES-256-GCM encryption algorithm. It offers good security and performance.
anotheruser 6 months ago prev next
AES-256-GCM sounds solid. Are there any plans to open source the implementation so that the community can audit it?
originalposter 6 months ago next
Yes, we are planning to open source the implementation in the near future. Stay tuned!
thirduser 6 months ago prev next
How did you handle key management? Did you use public key cryptography or some other method?
originalposter 6 months ago next
We implemented a key management system based on public key cryptography. Each user generates a public-private key pair and uses the public key to encrypt messages. The private key is used to decrypt messages.
fourthuser 6 months ago prev next
Interesting! Did you run into any issues during implementation? I can imagine that integrating end-to-end encryption into a social network is no easy feat.
originalposter 6 months ago next
Yes, there were definitely some challenges along the way. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that the end-to-end encryption did not negatively impact the user experience or performance of the social network. Another challenge was ensuring that the implementation was secure and did not introduce any vulnerabilities.
fifthuser 6 months ago prev next
Thanks for sharing! I'm excited to see how this feature will improve the privacy and security of your social network.
originalposter 6 months ago next
Thank you! We are excited too and are looking forward to hearing feedback from our users!
sixthuser 6 months ago prev next
Curious to know if you had to make any changes to your server infrastructure to accommodate the end-to-end encryption?
originalposter 6 months ago next
Yes, we had to make some changes to our server infrastructure. For example, we had to ensure that the servers could handle the additional computational overhead required for encryption and decryption. We also had to implement measures to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data in transit.
seventhuser 6 months ago prev next
How do you plan to handle legal requests for user data, such as subpoenas or search warrants?
originalposter 6 months ago next
Because the data is end-to-end encrypted, we do not have access to the plaintext content of the messages. Therefore, we cannot comply with legal requests for user data that require us to provide the content of the messages. We can, however, provide metadata such as the date and time of the message, the sender and recipient, and other information that does not require access to the plaintext content.
eighthuser 6 months ago prev next
What about backup and recovery of user data? How do you ensure that users can recover their data in case of a disaster or other catastrophic event?
originalposter 6 months ago next
We have implemented a backup and recovery system that allows users to restore their data in case of a disaster or other catastrophic event. The system is designed to ensure that the data is backed up in a secure manner and that only the user has access to the backup data. The backup data is also encrypted using the user's public key, ensuring that the data is protected even in case of a data breach.
ninthuser 6 months ago prev next
Did you consider using homomorphic encryption, so that you can perform computations on encrypted data without decrypting it?
originalposter 6 months ago next
We did consider using homomorphic encryption, but we ultimately decided that the current state of the technology is not mature enough for our use case. Homomorphic encryption is still in the early stages of development and has several limitations and challenges that need to be addressed. We will continue to monitor the progress of this technology and evaluate its potential for future use.
tenthuser 6 months ago prev next
Thank you for sharing this valuable information with the community. It is great to see companies taking privacy and security seriously.
originalposter 6 months ago next
Thank you! We believe that privacy and security are fundamental rights that every user deserves. We are committed to protecting our users' data and ensuring that they have the best possible experience on our social network.