Meta has introduced a new browser extension for Whatsapp, Code Verify, that it claims will enhance the security of the instant messaging app’s web version. The company claims the open source web browser extension “automatically verifies the authenticity of the WhatsApp Web code being served to your browser.”
With this add-on, you can check to make sure your “WhatsApp Web code hasn’t been tampered with or altered,”. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encrypted chats will be more difficult for a would-be attacker to hack now that the browser version of the service is being used.
WhatsApp’s multi-device beta was released last year, and Code Verify is an improvement to that. The feature helps users to use WhatsApp directly through their web browser via WhatsApp Web. It is designed to make utilising the messaging service on devices other than their primary phone easier and more seamless.
Meta says it partnered with Cloudflare, a web infrastructure and security company, to enable independent, third-party code verification for WhatsApp Web users.
Now that a lot of people have started using this tool, WhatsApp sees a need to “add additional layers of security to the WhatsApp Web experience”.
Meta’s security method using Code Verify, isn’t anything new. You are simply matching your browser code hash with Cloudflare’s Cloudflare Cloudflare Cloudflare hash. However, its usefulness is in automating this process, making it simple to learn and use for anyone, regardless of technical expertise.
After the check, the browser extension displays any faults with a traffic light system. Red signifies you need to reload your website or have another browser extension interfering with Code Verify. The extension can help users address problems, according to WhatsApp’s support website.
Cloudflare isn’t able to read or access your mails, claims Meta. Meta has also made Code Verify’s source code available on GitHub, allowing other websites to adopt its security features. The extension is currently available for Chrome and Edge, with Firefox compatibility “coming soon,”
If you’re using WhatsApp multi-device feature, you should learn how to use Code Verify here to add additional layers of security to the WhatsApp Web experience.
