User data security seems to have become incredibly important these days, and secure messaging applications can better protect the consumers and their information. Many private messaging apps also authorize a backup of your texts to be stored on the server of the company, which implies the data could be leaked in the case of a significant breach-resulting in the republishing of your messages online.
What is Secure Messaging
Encrypted or secure messaging works differently. It uses the smart use of encryption technologies and ensures that only the user you send the text can read it through that message.
These secure messaging apps also ensure that if some third party tries to decrypt or merely save, it will have nothing but a meaningless sequence of code, and that code is useless for them.
This has increased the percentage of messaging applications that use encryption for extra security because of their massive popularity and market share.
End to end encryption
End-to-end encryption involves encrypting data to prevent third-party access to information. When two devices connect via an application that includes this encryption standard, the data will be conveyed using a unique code instead of a simple text which is unsafe.
So the communications can only be accessed by the people involved in the conversation, and no other individual can access the data, not even internet service providers, the government, the app creator, or anyone else.
Secure Messaging Apps
There are several messaging apps, but they’re not as safe as they claim. All the applications in this series provide end-to-end encryption, ensuring nobody can see your ‘ secret ‘ messages until they have a decryption key to decode your email.
The service provider is unable to see the emails and not even the attackers, malicious workers, and members in government.
What are the Features of a Secure Messaging App
It would blend several different apps if we could create a perfect application. But the fact is standing in the way and pushing us to make some compromises.
The optimal version of secure messaging app, though, would be:
- You can Communicate with Anyone
We’d only want one application to use to get in touch with others. As it is, as we connect to our friends, families, or coworkers, we go through the hassle of moving between various apps, emails, calls, and messages. You cannot send a Whatsapp message to someone other’s Facebook messenger. You both should be using the same application for communication.
- Easy to Use
The optimal device would be convenient and easy, in addition to its functionality. This app would synchronize our contacts instantly, make finding new people more comfortable, and provide fast and simple connectivity. However, numerous convenience frameworks clash with many of the security and privacy policies.
- Security
In any case, where you share confidential or useful information, protection is essential. The internet is a vulnerable area by design, and at every turn, hackers can be waiting. That’s why it’s necessary to take the security of our messaging apps very seriously.
Top 5 Secure Messaging Apps
The following are some secure messaging apps that you should use while sharing some confidential information.
Signal
This app provides a variety of features that render it equivalent to a service such as Whatsapp. It has essential features like video calls, texts, group chats, and emojis. Similar to the other encrypted communication methods such as PGP, it is effortless to use.
- The authentication system of Signal makes it one of the best secure messaging apps. It is designed in such a way to keep safe your keys or personal information that is usually not available to the company.
- It does not store or keep your documents anyway, so there is not anything that it can turn over if the officials request your information from Signal.
- Generally, the protocol did remarkably well enough against all its criticism, that’s why many people consider it as the safest and most reasonable solution to the secure messaging.
Wire
Wire is an instant messenger application designed by Wire Swiss. It promises compliance with all EU privacy laws. It is accessible on Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Windows, macOS, as well as internet client options, which work on browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari.
- It’s an open and free source that ensures you could look into it yourself if you’re concerned about what’s in the code.
- The mobile phone number is not mandatory. It allows the users to sign up with a mailing address and password.
- One of the disadvantages is that it holds much more information than Signal. The app’s developers confirmed that they keep records of who people have approached and, unfortunately, they’re all stored in plain text.
- It offers both premium plans and free plans, which are intended to provide support for its growth and operating costs.
Wickr
Wickr is among the oldest security-focused applications, and its features include video calls, messaging, device-wide synchronization, and photo sharing. This application is among the best encrypted messaging apps. It’s open-source and does not collect data or documents from the user. It also provides a “shredder” feature that deletes all messages and materials that have ever been exchanged on the platform automatically.
- The Wickr networking protocol supports end-to-end encryption with complete forward confidentiality.
- The app removes communication information that passes through its network, which is a victory for the confidentiality of the user.
- Another outstanding feature is that the mobile phone number is not required to use this app.
This application provides 3 Services
- Wicker Me
- Wicker Enterprises
- Wicker Pro
Whatsapp is among the best apps which provide security, and it has an extensive vast network. It has over 1.5 Billion active users worldwide. This application simple to use and offers functionality such as sharing of documents, gifs, images, and location.
It also utilizes the secure encryption protocol established by Open Whisper Systems. This app ensures that even if someone succeeds in obtaining the key to your hidden chat somewhere, they can only see the last messages.
Facebook own Whatsapp and Whatsapp allow users only to register a mobile number when they sign-up, while Facebook needs them to verify their identity.
Telegram
The distinguishing feature of Telegram is its multi-platform service introduced by two German-based brothers in 2013, with not just iPhone and iPhone, but also Windows OS X, Windows Phone, and Linux.
With the capacity to handle a wide variety of files, it appears more like an email substitution cloud messaging system and stable communications for teams with free streaming to up to 200 people.
- Users are not identified by their mobile numbers but only by username. It means that friends never need to remember your mobile number while using Telegram, a messaging tool that is similar to a social networking site.
- The algorithm for Telegram authentication is inaccurate. A team created it with little crypto expertise, which is not endorsed by specialists in cybersecurity.
- The application is not open source yet, so no third-party verified the code.
- Telegram was also questioned for the default design of its messaging, which is not encrypted from end to end.
- It can access the keys to encrypt messages from the users and could be compelled potentially to turn them over to the authorities.
RitaVPN
You should use the Virtual Private Network for securing your data against the data hackers. RitaVPN is one of the most secure and best VPN services which encrypts all of your personal information by changing your IP address. Unblock any blocked website or content by installing RitaVPN.
