A safer and more secure business is a smarter business. Learn more about how using encrypted messaging can improve your security.
Every business from startups to Fortune 500 companies know the importance of security. From password managers to cloud security to keycards that only allow certain personnel into certain areas, business security messages help to keep the foundation of your business solid and protect your employee and customer data, proprietary information, and all sensitive material that needs to remain private.
One thing your business might not have considered as an additional layer of security is encrypted messaging. What is secure encrypted messaging? It is a form of encryption applied to your text message communications (including text messages and the files sent through SMS and MMS technology) that help to keep businesses or agencies from monitoring them.
End to end encryption, specifically, is when the service provider has a record of the text message content or copies of such communication. Since today’s workforce often has a smartphone that ties their personal and corporate communications together, many people don’t think twice about texting their boss or department from the same phone at which they check their personal email from.
While many companies have a VPN-type login for employees to access their corporate email that keeps access to the email server secure, they don’t usually have the same policies for texts, since there isn’t a central repository of business-only text messages. For anyone who conducts a lot of work communication with text messages or for businesses that have a lot of remote employees that communicate primarily with texts, it might be worth looking into an end to end encrypted messaging app.
Top Encrypted Messaging Apps
Just like there are different email apps to sign up with and install on your devices (think Gmail vs.. Outlook vs. Hotmail, etc.), there are several different encrypted messaging apps with different features currently available. Here are some of the best encrypted messaging apps available now.
Signal Private Messenger
This app is lauded by security experts. In addition to being free and easy-to-use for Android and iOS users, Signal Private Messenger is an open source code that can also be used on web browsers as a plugin. It includes additional features, like encrypted voice calls and group chats as well.
Silent
This app is useful for people who are still using Blackberry communication devices. While Silent app does come with a monthly use price tag of almost ten dollars a month, it offers self-destructing message capabilities, secure file transfers, and encrypted video and voice calls.
WhatsApp messaging app is already widely used by a global audience, but by 2016 was offering end-to-end encryption for voice messages, photos, video messages, and all chats.
Viber
Viber app is free-to-use for all users and has a unique feature that shows them how secure their communications are with a contact, using a color-coded system that shows ranks everything from encrypted communications to unauthorized or unsafe communications.
Threema
Threema app costs 2.99 to download for Android, iOS, and Windows phone users but it doesn’t ask for an email or phone number to ID users and instead provides you with a unique user code. Communications are deleted from the server once they’re delivered.
Encrypted messaging is very important for keeping business information secure and confidential. If it is implemented in your personal or business communications, you and your team members will be more confident in communication with internal and external contacts.
