You Can Save Lives With End-to-end Encryption in Ruby

You Can Save Lives With End-to-end Encryption in Ruby

This talk by Ryo Kajiwara at RubyKaigi 2025 focuses on the importance of end-to-end (E2E) encryption in Ruby, particularly through the implementation of the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol as per RFC 9420. Kajiwara discusses how encryption significantly impacts our ability to communicate securely, especially in oppressive situations.

Key Points Covered:

- Introduction to E2E Encryption:

- Kajiwara highlights that E2E encryption ensures that only the communicating users can read the messages, preventing even service providers from accessing them.
- He makes a case for how it is crucial in current geopolitical climate where surveillance and control are increasing.

Practical Application in Ruby:
- The talk covers the Ruby implementation of the MLS protocol, which facilitates authenticated key exchanges in group messaging scenarios.
- Kajiwara mentions the code challenges and solutions he faced, specifically mentioning a gem named "Melos" developed for MLS.
Technical Mechanics of MLS:
- He explains key concepts like forward secrecy and post-compromise security which are essential for secure messaging and elaborates on how they are achieved through cryptographic techniques.
- The implementation details include examples of tree data structures and how they relate to the secret management in a group context.
Impact and Future Work:
- Kajiwara discusses current limitations of encryption in Ruby and ongoing efforts to keep it relevant in the evolving landscape of web security.
- He emphasizes the need for Ruby developers to implement modern cryptography, suggesting that it is vital for ensuring personal privacy and security on the internet.
Concluding Remarks:
- Kajiwara reiterates the importance of end-to-end encryption in saving lives, especially highlighting its need in vulnerable situations. He encourages developers to consider security implications in their applications and to contribute to the Ruby ecosystem.
- He finishes with a personal note, expressing gratitude to the community and a touching tribute to his late grandmother.

The overall message underscores the critical role of secure communication protocols and the responsibilities developers have in utilizing them effectively to protect user data.

You Can Save Lives With End-to-end Encryption in Ruby
Ryo Kajiwara • Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan • Talk

Date: April 17, 2025
Published: May 27, 2025
Announced: unknown

"Why do you need End-to-end Encryption in Ruby?"

This talk will cover the Ruby implementation of the Messaging Layer Security protocol (RFC 9420), which enables authenticated key exchange in group messaging systems. By learning how end-to-end encryption in group messaging works, you could be more confident about the security of your daily messages that are sent through your messaging apps. And yes, it does save actual lives.

This talk covers how the protocol works, details of the Ruby implementation, why it is important for Ruby, and the ongoing work on the future of modern cryptography in Ruby.

https://rubykaigi.org/2025/presentations/s01.html

RubyKaigi 2025