In today's digital world, the need for secure communication is more critical than ever, particularly as we increasingly rely on online platforms. This thesis explores a study focused on developing a secure communication platform supporting similar characteristics to Discord but with enhanced security features akin to those in Signal. A key aim is to incorporate the ability to access historical messages securely, a feature often missing in many end-to-end encryption (E2EE) applications.

End-to-end encryption is essential for keeping private conversations secure online. Signal has been a leader in this field, using advanced cryptographic protocols to ensure messages are kept confidential and authentic from sender to receiver. However, Signal and similar apps do not allow new group members to view past messages, a feature that could improve user experience and accessibility in a lot of cases.

The envisioned platform combines Discord's user-friendly interface with robust security measures. This system aims to balance security with practicality, ensuring messages are both secure and accessible when needed. The main challenge is balancing ease of use with tight security, especially when it comes to accessing past communications securely. Additionally, the platform must handle synchronization issues effectively to keep all group members updated.

A proof of concept was developed to test these ideas using a modern tech stack. The frontend was built with Vue 3 and styled with TailwindCSS, while the backend used Supabase for database interactions. Extensive use of TypeScript ensured that complex cryptographic processes were implemented accurately and securely, focusing on client-side encryption to maintain the integrity of data.

The development of the "E2EE Discord" proof of concept represents a significant step forward in demonstrating how advanced encryption techniques can be integrated into widely used communication platforms while maintaining a high standard of user experience and security. This implementation could serve as a benchmark for future developments in the realm of secure digital communications. The successful deployment of this proof of concept highlights the potential for broader adoption of E2EE technologies, paving the way for more secure, private, and reliable online interactions.

For a more detailed explanation of the project, please refer to the Master Thesis. (Original Greek version)

Or the English Translation. (Automatically Translated - Contains errors)

The app supports the following features:

• End-to-End Encryption: All messages are encrypted on the client-side before being sent to the server, ensuring that only the intended recipients can read them.
• Invitation System: Users can invite others to join their group, allowing new members to access past messages securely. The invitation message is encrypted with asymmetric cryptography to ensure confidentiality.
• Message History: Group members can access past messages securely, even if they join the group after the messages were sent.
• The server does not have access to the messages: The server only stores encrypted messages, ensuring that user data remains confidential.
• Metadata like group members are stored encrypted on the server, ensuring that even this information is kept private.
• Real-time Updates: The app uses WebSockets to provide real-time updates, ensuring that all group members are kept up to date with the latest messages and state changes.

This template should help get you started developing with Vue 3 and TypeScript in Vite. The template uses Vue 3 <script setup> SFCs, check out the script setup docs to learn more.

• VS Code + Volar (and disable Vetur) + TypeScript Vue Plugin (Volar).

TypeScript cannot handle type information for .vue imports by default, so we replace the tsc CLI with vue-tsc for type checking. In editors, we need TypeScript Vue Plugin (Volar) to make the TypeScript language service aware of .vue types.

If the standalone TypeScript plugin doesn't feel fast enough to you, Volar has also implemented a Take Over Mode that is more performant. You can enable it by the following steps:

1. Disable the built-in TypeScript Extension
   1. Run Extensions: Show Built-in Extensions from VSCode's command palette
   2. Find TypeScript and JavaScript Language Features, right click and select Disable (Workspace)
2. Reload the VSCode window by running Developer: Reload Window from the command palette.