Messaging Security: How to Keep My Messages Safe

0_dTyENgJYmKq9LMSU_

Some businesses are becoming more open to having employees work remotely. And because of this, there are plenty of messaging tools available to keep in touch such as Google Hangouts, Slack, and even text messaging. That said, if you’re a remote worker or someone who wants to protect the contents of what they send, then it’s important to make messaging security a focus.

The Dangers of Intercepted Texts

Messaging apps make it simple to do everything from voice chat to send files in seconds. This is convenient if you’re working with colleagues on work projects, sharing documents with family members, and more.

However, hackers also see value in your text messages. Through a variety of techniques such as brute force hacking, they could gain access to your WiFi connection then read and intercept your traffic data. From there, they could gain access to sensitive personal or company data which they can use in a myriad of ways, all to the detriment of you.

signal TA 1024x768 - Messaging Security: How to Keep My Messages Safe

Illustration by Wired

Messaging Security: How Do I Protect Them?

One common safeguard when it comes to protecting your data is to create more obstacles for hackers to work through. Pertaining to messaging, there are apps available that encrypt your data end to end-this means that the messages you send and receive are encrypted. Along with this, these apps protect any calls, files or other information exchanged.

Signal is one of the most effective messaging apps available. After joining, you can invite friends, family and/or work colleagues to join. Once they do, you’ll have the ability to send texts, attach files and more without fear of interception.

Moreover, a unique feature to Signal is it can make your text messages self-destruct. Not only does this sound like a handy James Bond gadget, it can protect you and your colleagues if you have to share sensitive information and you don’t want to keep it saved.

One of the most important aspects of Signal is it doesn’t access your messages. This is something not all messaging apps can tout, indicating that with Signal your private conversations remain just that.

Things to Look for in Messaging Apps

If you want to try messaging apps, there are a few things you’ll want to investigate along the way. The first is the app’s permissions. When you go to download the mobile application, it will tell you what the app wants to read, and if it wants to access your calls, texts, location data, and more, you have to ask is this app really trying to protect me or track me?

As part of this, does it have access to your messages? The whole point of messaging security is to create a shield where hackers don’t have access to your information. If the app provider reads your messages it negates the point.

Another thing to look for is who develops the app. One of the more popular messaging platforms is WhatsApp, which Facebook owns. Considering how much hot water Facebook put themselves in for their handling of personal data, it might be best to find a safer solution. With this in mind, research the developer of the app before downloading.

Messaging security might not receive as much interest in the grand scheme of things, but it’s an important part of keeping your data secure. And if your data ever becomes compromised, know there’s a team with the resources and know how to regain it.

Our team at Outsource Data Recovery understands the complexities and importance of recovering your most sensitive files. When the unthinkable happens, trust us to make it right. Contact us today to learn how.