I’m a security expert – my secret message rule can save you from iMessage and WhatsApp disaster
A SECURITY expert has revealed a texting tip that could save you from accidentally leaking your most important secrets.
Not all encrypted messaging apps are equal and how you use them really affects the level of privacy you receive.
Security expert Stan Kaminsky recently explained this on the Kaspersky blog.
He referred to a report called What Is Secure? by experts from the agencies Tech Policy Press and Convocation Research and Design.
That report found that Signal is by far the most secure messaging app when compared to other popular apps.
The apps researched in the study were Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Google Messages.
Signal was the only app that offered encrypted chat backups by default.
WhatsApp and iMessage also offer this but you have to make sure you opt in.
Users are advised to take several steps that make messaging apps more secure.
Try using self-destructing messages when available and turn on two-factor authentication.
It’s also advisable to turn off any extra features.
Kaminsky explained: “Extra features, such as stories, bots or links to social networking services, provide extra surveillance and data-leak channels.
“It’s best to turn off these kinds of features or avoid using the app altogether.”
You should also bear in mind that a recipient of your text can take screenshots and you can’t control what they do with them.
Kaminsky’s secret message advice even goes one step further than this.
He warned: “The biggest secrets are best delivered face-to-face.
“No method of digital communication is completely secure.
“Therefore, the riskiest information – especially if posing a threat to health or even life – should be discussed in person, not in a chat.”
So if you have a big secret, sending it via text message might not be the best option.