DEV Community

Cover image for PrivatePing - A Secure Messaging Application
Viraj Bhingradiya
Viraj Bhingradiya

Posted on • Updated on

PrivatePing - A Secure Messaging Application

PrivatePing stands out as a ray of security and trust in the world of online communication in a time when challenges to digital privacy are becoming more frequent. At its core, PrivatePing is an encrypted messaging software that was diligently developed using the Django framework for Python, opening the way for a new era of private communication.

By utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, PrivatePing guarantees that all messages passing through its channels are hidden from prying eyes. PrivatePing creates an unbreakable barrier around user communications by combining advanced encryption technologies like the SubtleCrypto API with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Features:

  • End-to-End Encryption:JavaScript's SubtleCrypto API is used to encrypt messages. The SHA-256 method is used to make sure that the messages can only be decrypted and read by the designated recipient.

  • No Message Storage:PrivatePing guarantees user privacy and confidentiality by not storing messages on its servers.

  • Anonymous Login:Improves user security and privacy by providing an anonymous login option and generating temporary user accounts that are good for just a day.

  • Secure Authentication:Makes advantage of the built-in Django authentication system to guarantee safe user authorization and authentication.

Usage:

Hosted on Heroku is PrivatePing. Online browsers can access it. No local installation or operation of the application is required for users to register, log in safely, and send and receive encrypted communications.

To get started:

  1. Visit PrivatePing in your web browser.

2.You can either:

  • Sign up for a standard account using your email address, and Login using your credentials to continue.
  • Alternatively, use the option for anonymous direct login, which creates a temporary account for you valid for the next 24 hours. No private information will be attached to this account.

3.After successfully logging into the account, share your username with your friend to get started.

4.Click on the "Add User" button on the navigation bar at the top left.

5.Enter your friend's username and click on "Add".

6.Note that your friend will also need to add you on their dashboard using the same steps.

7.Once added, click on the user's name you wish to chat with.

8.PrivatePing will create a secure room for you both and wait for the other person to connect.

9.When you and your friend are successfully connected over a secure channel, you can start exchanging encrypted messages, which not even PrivatePing can decipher.

Image description

Used Tools:

- Django
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- SubtleCrypto API
- channels
- Redis 
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Contributors:

Contributions are welcome! If you'd like to contribute to PrivatePing, please follow these guidelines:

  1. Visit our github repository.
  2. Fork the repository.
  3. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
  4. Make your changes and ensure the code follows the project's coding standards.
  5. Submit a pull request with a clear description of your changes. We invite everyone to use this absolutely free application and suggest improvements that can enhance security and privacy.

Top comments (0)