Blog 4 Techies Table of Contents
Free Apps Don’t Offer Secure Encryption
Smartphone users worldwide worry about digital privacy risks every day, yet they seldom take concrete steps to make themselves safer. The free apps that constitute the risk are attractive for a few reasons.
Many of them offer users incredible fun and functionality. Of course, they don’t cost anything to download. Let’s look at the type of encryption people need if they want a phone with modern functionality that is also secure.
Military-Grade Encryption
Free platforms like Signal or WhatsApp toss around the phrase “end-to-end encryption” a lot as if being “end-to-end” is proof they offer maximum security. In fact, not all encryption is of the same strength.
Using an encrypted phone line protected by military-grade encryption is the surest way to avoid a data breach or a hack. Use a platform inspired by the world’s leading cryptographers encompassing both PGP and Elliptical Curve Cryptography.
On the best platforms, the Key Exchange utilizes the Double Ratchet Algorithm combining the cryptographic ratchet based on the Diffie-Hellman key exchange and a ratchet based on the key derivative function.
No Third-Party Apps
Getting hacked is not the only way that your personal information can be compromised. Most people don’t spend much time scrutinizing the set of permissions they grant to free apps to access their personal data.
Once these apps download your information, it’s impossible to know how it’s being used, shared, monitored or without further notice or consent. It’s the same companies who pitch “end-to-end encryption” that also make lucrative deals with advertisers by selling your data.
Most people underestimate the extent to which they give companies an entry point into their personal data. Even the world’s best encryption can’t keep you secure if you give the same companies permission to share your information.
The most secure phones aren’t designed to be compatible with third-party apps because they prioritize security over everything else. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t extremely functional!
Secondary Security Measures
Phones need protection from more than remote hacks. What if a thief steals your phone, or you accidentally leave it unattended, and a stranger finds your highly sensitive information?
Look for a phone with additional security measures, like a Tamper Proof feature that lets you create a duress password. If someone arrives the wrong password too many times, all the sensitive data will be deleted in an instant.
If you need to share confidential information with somebody but don’t want the message, contact or picture to exist for long, set it to Self-Destruct. It will be destroyed at a scheduled time on both devices, even if there’s no data connection.
Plus, any content set to self-destruct can’t be forwarded, favorited, or saved on either phone.
Modern telecommunications are basically a miracle of technology, but innovations like free apps can also be a double-edged sword, with privacy risks being a constant threat unless you opt for phones that prioritize security ahead of everything else. Look for a phone with all the above features, and your communications will be safe and secure.