These days, many people spend more time texting on the Internet than in face-to-face communication. Have you ever written or sent something that others shouldn’t hear, read, or see? If so, then it is best to use an encrypted messenger. This article explains why you need a secure messenger and provides several options.
Why Do You Need a Secure Messenger?
When you are chatting with someone on the Internet, it would seem that only you and the other person are participating in the communication. However, many individuals are trying to spy on the communication of people on the Internet. This could be corporate spying or intelligence services that are not watching specifically for you, but for everyone:
- Corporations want to read people’s correspondence to more accurately send targeted advertisements or sell your personal information.
- Hackers want to use this information to steal your identity, money, sell your plans to competitors, or blackmail.
- Governments want to know everything you think and do. Perhaps they will even be able to catch a couple of terrorists.
The Best Secure Messengers With Encryption
If you do not use a secure local messenger, one or all of the categories described above can easily intercept your data if they want to. For this reason, there is now a flourishing of new messengers that promise privacy, protection, anonymity, or all at once.
Signal
Signal is one of two messengers that benefited from WhatsApp’s privacy issues. Elon Musk’s recommendation to use it attracted many new clients. Since then, Signal has continued to receive increased attention. Originally created by Open Whisper Systems, it has such a strong Signal Protocol that many other services, including giants like WhatsApp, use protocols based on it.
Wickr Me
Wickr is another great option for secure communication. The Wickr product line consists of free and paid versions for individuals and organizations. Wickr Me uses the same code as its commercial offerings. The app uses anonymous accounts. You don’t need to enter a phone number, email address, or other personal information to create an account.
Wire
Wire is a reputable corporate communication tool. It has secure messaging, group chat, file sharing, and the ability to securely work with external clients. Just like Signal, Wire is an open-source product with self-destructing messages.
Threema
Threema is not the most famous confidential messenger. But this does not make it less suitable for use in certain situations. The application can be used completely anonymously. If you do not want to indicate an email address or phone number, the user can be identified by a randomly generated identifier that has no connection with any personal data.
Softros
This is a perfect corporate messenger based on LAN technology. It is installed on the company’s server and can work without the Internet connection within the office. It is rather suitable for corporate communication, especially for those who work with confidential data.
Have you already chosen a messenger for yourself? Share your choice with us in the comments.