A security analysis comparison between Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram

Corina-Elena Bogos; Răzvan Mocanu; Emil Simion

Paper 2023/071

A security analysis comparison between Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram

Corina-Elena Bogos, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

Răzvan Mocanu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

Emil Simion

, Polytechnic University of Bucharest

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a security analysis comparison between three popular instant messaging apps: Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram. The analysis will focus on the encryption protocols used by each app and the security features they offer. The paper will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each app, and provide a summary of their overall security posture. Additionally, this paper will discuss other considerations such as user base, data collection and usage policies, and other features which may impact the security of the apps. The results of this analysis will provide insights for individuals and organizations looking to choose a secure instant messaging app for their communication needs. In this paper we reviewed the main encryption standards and we compared the features, traffic analysis, protocols, performance and recent security breaches for WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. The paper includes packet sniffing using Wireshark and Fiddler.

Metadata

Available format(s): PDF
Category: Attacks and cryptanalysis
Publication info: Preprint.
Keywords: security analysis comparison encryption protocols packet sniffing
Contact author(s): corina iftinca v @ gmail com
mocanurazvan123 @ gmail com
emil simion @ upb ro
History: 2023-01-23: approved; 2023-01-21: received; See all versions
Short URL: https://ia.cr/2023/071
License: CC BY

BibTeX

@misc{cryptoeprint:2023/071,
      author = {Corina-Elena Bogos and Răzvan Mocanu and Emil Simion},
      title = {A security analysis comparison between Signal, {WhatsApp} and Telegram},
      howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2023/071},
      year = {2023},
      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/071}
}