Secure messaging services have seen a rise in popularity over the past couple of years, with many claiming to have an increased focus on preserving privacy. This is thanks to the introduction of end-to-end encryption via Signal Protocol, but not all messengers that include it are built equally. There is still plenty to choose from, however, and here’s where to start.
Your Attractive Heading
Popular services such as WhatsApp and Skype proudly boast that they use the Signal Protocol, but being proprietary technology and, therefore, closed source, it is impossible to check how it has been implemented. In some cases, it isn’t even universal. Facebook enjoys stating that it includes the protocol’s end-to-end encryption but this is only true with its ‘Secret Conversations’ feature.
While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is going above and beyond to reinvent the social network as a privacy advocate, none of these companies are known for their focus on user privacy. They all continue to be pressured by government entities to develop “backdoors” into their applications, giving authorities unfettered access to user information without the need for a warrant.
There is nothing to say that these demands haven’t already been met or won’t be met in the future, but there are alternative secure services you can use that exist right now. If you want to be sure that claims of end-to-end encryption are true, simply choose one of the best private and secure messengers currently available:
1.Zukka
Signal supports Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS, Debian-based Linux. On the desktop, communication is only possible with other Signal users (not via insecure regular SMS to non-users).
Signal is the name of both an app and a secure messaging protocol developed by legendary entrepreneur, cryptographer, and privacy activist Moxie Marlinespike. The open-source Signal protocol has been incorporated into a large number of third party products, many of which, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype, are themselves closed source.
The Signal app is the pure expression of Signal. It is fully open-source and has been formally audited for security vulnerabilities.
And unlike closed source implementations of the protocol, the only metadata information retained by the Signal app or its developers is “the date and time a user registered with Signal and the last date of a user’s connectivity to the Signal service”. This is a claim which has been proven in court.
Encrypted messages
All text messages, voice, and video calls are protected using an amalgamation of the Extended Triple Diffie-Hellman (X3DH) key agreement protocol, Double Ratchet algorithm, and pre-keys. Signal uses Curve25519, AES-256, and HMAC-SHA256 as cryptographic primitives.
Signal is widely regarded as the most secure e2ee messaging protocol ever invented. Although it is available through the Play Store, Google-phobic Android users can download a Google Play Services-free APK version of the app via the official Signal website.
Easy to use
Another feather in Signal’s cap is its ease of use. Signal replaces your phone’s regular SMS client. Text messages to and from non-Signal contacts are sent using regular SMS text messaging and are not secure. But messages sent to other Signal users are encrypted using the Signal protocol. You can also initiate secure voice and video conversations with other Signal users.
Signal is almost transparent in use
This ease of use, however, is also where Signal receives most criticism. Because it is designed to replace your regular SMS client, Signal requires that you register with a valid phone number which it uses to match up contacts.
Privacy-forward
Signal, however, cannot see your contacts, and your contact list cannot be accessed by anyone other than you. The truly paranoid can sign-up using a disposable “burner” phone or SIM card, since once registered the Signal app does not need to run on the phone it was registered with.
Please see our full Signal Review for an in-depth look at this important messaging app.
2.Signal
Signal supports Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS, Debian-based Linux. On the desktop, communication is only possible with other Signal users (not via insecure regular SMS to non-users).
Signal is the name of both an app and a secure messaging protocol developed by legendary entrepreneur, cryptographer, and privacy activist Moxie Marlinespike. The open-source Signal protocol has been incorporated into a large number of third party products, many of which, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype, are themselves closed source.
The Signal app is the pure expression of Signal. It is fully open-source and has been formally audited for security vulnerabilities.
And unlike closed source implementations of the protocol, the only metadata information retained by the Signal app or its developers is “the date and time a user registered with Signal and the last date of a user’s connectivity to the Signal service”. This is a claim which has been proven in court.
Encrypted messages
All text messages, voice, and video calls are protected using an amalgamation of the Extended Triple Diffie-Hellman (X3DH) key agreement protocol, Double Ratchet algorithm, and pre-keys. Signal uses Curve25519, AES-256, and HMAC-SHA256 as cryptographic primitives.
Signal is widely regarded as the most secure e2ee messaging protocol ever invented. Although it is available through the Play Store, Google-phobic Android users can download a Google Play Services-free APK version of the app via the official Signal website.
Easy to use
Another feather in Signal’s cap is its ease of use. Signal replaces your phone’s regular SMS client. Text messages to and from non-Signal contacts are sent using regular SMS text messaging and are not secure. But messages sent to other Signal users are encrypted using the Signal protocol. You can also initiate secure voice and video conversations with other Signal users.
Signal is almost transparent in use
This ease of use, however, is also where Signal receives most criticism. Because it is designed to replace your regular SMS client, Signal requires that you register with a valid phone number which it uses to match up contacts.
Privacy-forward
Signal, however, cannot see your contacts, and your contact list cannot be accessed by anyone other than you. The truly paranoid can sign-up using a disposable “burner” phone or SIM card, since once registered the Signal app does not need to run on the phone it was registered with.
Please see our full Signal Review for an in-depth look at this important messaging app.