Why companies are switching to Signal Open Source encryption?

Posted by Rose Molly on December 22nd, 2018

Digital communications are importantfor everyday business maneuvers, but unfortunately, the conventional means of digital communications –SMS text and email– are scandalously insecure. Apparently, every day we read newsabout how the conventional digital methods are conceded by third-party users, hackers, nation-officials.

These data risks have urged many companies and businesses to switch to more secure communication platforms like Signal. Also, workers at different companies who have not dispensedany such directives have now been given instances about it to download and start using it in order to share a secured and protected communication. We may not be able to realize it, but — with more than billions users, Signal is becoming the number one choice of companies, users for sharing communications every day.

The Signal Protocol is itself used byFacebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Signal’s own encrypted messaging app.

With End-to-end encryption, Signal ensures that the message is automatically turned into a coded message sent by its sender, and then can only be decoded by its intended recipient.

But what is the Signal Protocol all about? On data privacy front, provided that both sender and recipient are connectingthrough the application, all the messages will be encrypted from end-to-end so that every message remains private and protected from ant third-party to be viewed. Even the audio Calls made through the application are encrypted, restricting anybody else to listen in.

All the end-to-end encryption is accomplishedby means of the Signal protocol, an open source encryption algorithm generated for hassle-free, secured messaging application. Built by OpenWhisper System, a nonprofit company founded by Moxie Marlinspikein 2013, focuses on Signal Protocol development, maintaining anencrypted messaging application known as Signal. In October 2016, the protocol was even reviewed by a team of international security researchers and wonapplauding reviews.

Yes! You heard it right, Signal, the million-user applicationdeveloped by Open Whisper Systems uses its own end-to-end encryption protocol.

The only piece of data Signal holds is yourcontact number with whom you’ve registered along with the data, when you last logged inserver.That’sabout it.It do not even stores hours, minutes, or seconds — just the day.If you are sensing mischievous, Signal also has self-destructing messages.

Signal offers the feature to lock the application with a passphrase restricting anyone else to use your phone, who can snoop on your private conversations. Signal enables one to protect preventing screenshots taken within the application. Though there is nothing that can prevent the use of another smartphone clicking a picture, this Signal’s feature makes it hard for those prying eyes to capture the private conversations.

Besides, the code used for developing Signal is completely open-source, meaning it can be verified, audited oranalyzed by the security experts, ascertaining t it to remain secure as envisioned.

This is justplain contrast to applications like, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Google Alloall of which are proprietary and held by companies, with sole interest of collecting data to be used for serving you with more and more ads.

By the way, Signal is open-source and absolutely free, available on almost every device.

Source: http://dataprivacycoalition.org/why-companies-are-switching-to-signal-open-source-encryption/