US cybersecurity officials are urging people to use encryption in their communications after a major hacking campaign. The US government has released a list of security suggestions for telecommunications companies targeted by the hackers.
One key piece of advice is to ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted whenever possible. This means that only the sender and receiver can see the message, while anyone else will receive disordered information that cannot be understood without the key.
End-to-end encryption, or E2EE, was previously reserved for law enforcement purposes, as it would make it difficult for technology companies to access messages. However, experts now recommend using this method for personal communications.
Fortunately, many popular messaging apps already use end-to-end encryption, including Signal, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. These apps are designed to protect user data and can be used for secure voice calls as well.
However, not all apps offer the same level of security. Telegram, a popular messaging app, does not use end-to-end encryption by default. Users must manually activate this feature, which only works for one-on-one conversations, not group chats.
For iPhone users, messages sent through iMessages are already encrypted end-to-end. Android users can also take advantage of Google Messages’ built-in encryption feature. However, the encryption used in these apps may not be as strong as Signal’s or WhatsApp’s.
To stay safe online, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps like Signal for private communications. With the ability to make voice calls and send secure messages, these apps offer a convenient and reliable way to protect your personal data.
Source: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/tech-tip-how-to-protect-communications-through-encryption/7902936.html