Skype has been one of the most popular messaging apps out there for such a long time and even though the number of its users is counted to be over 300 million, Microsoft never added the additional safety precautions that are so common in the modern world of technology.
Luckily, Microsoft is about to put more stress on security and the privacy of its users. Addressing this oversight, Microsoft has proudly announced that it will add end-to-end encrypted Skype messages and audio calls for Skype Insiders on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Encryption and end-to-end encryption
Encrypted communication can be found everywhere, from online banking to everyday apps used for communication, like WhatsApp, iMessage and now Skype as well. Even though this term is widely spread on the Internet and as soon as they hear it, the user begins to feel somewhat safer, but many do not understand what this is all about.
To put it simply, encryption is the act of scrambling communication so that other people could be prevented from reading it. It is a very logical form of protecting your information and its roots go way back in history when the Roman Emperor Julius Ceasar used basic encryption in messages to his generals. Modern technology just found a way to exploit all the possibilities it offers and expanded its use by turning it into an end-to-end encryption.
The difference is that while encryption means that your message is scrambled in some way and it does offer a certain degree of security it is still possible for someone, government or a high tech company, to unlock it and access your information. End-to-end encryption, on the other hand, means that a message is encoded in such a way that only the sender and receiver can see it.