3-Apps-You-Can-Use-to-Keep-Sensitive-Information-Safe-from-Prying-Eyes-785X391

Over the last couple of decades there have been plenty of great advances in the world that have stemmed from technology. These include a variety of ways we now have to communicate, the completely new industries and jobs that have been launched, breakthrough medical procedures and other treatments, and an expansion in entertainment possibilities, to name just a few.

Information Safe from Prying

However, along with these advancements, there have also been a few set backs with regards to security, resulting in a need for all of the sensitive data to be kept safe from hackers. While there are some simple yet effective things you can do to keep hackers at bay — such as utilizing good-quality antivirus for your Mac, Windows, or Android systems, installing firewalls, and choosing proper passwords and keeping them updated — sometimes you might want to protect data even more rigorously. This is where encryption apps can come in handy. Read on for three systems that are well worth checking out today.

1. Wickr

Do you send a lot of text messages and other content via your smartphone and worry about who might see them? If so, you should consider downloading Wickr. This encryption app is available for a variety of operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux, and is free to download. A messaging platform, Wickr is designed to keep all types of messages, whether texts, videos, audio files, pictures, or documents, safe from prying eyes, both when sending and receiving content.

All conversations you have through the system, the texts will not to be monitored, tracked, or intercepted, and none of the metadata involved in interactions is recorded. The app removes all identifying information from the messages and media files used by customers, including records and geotags. In addition, Wickr makes sure that user’s identification details and address book contacts are kept anonymous, with no one within the company or outside of your network able to see any personal details.

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Another really cool feature of the app will be appreciated by “Mission: Impossible” fans who have often wished they could self-destruct their own messages. Wickr’s system incorporates a configurable timer that allows users to set up an expiration time on any content sent via the application. Furthermore, all deleted content can be removed from your own device irreversibly, so no trace of messages can be found.

2. Enlocked

If you send lots of emails that you want to be able to protect properly, check out the handy Enlocked app. This system makes it easy to safely communicate sensitive information via email, and is free to use when reading messages (you can access an unlimited number for no charge), as well as free when sending up to ten emails per month. For any more you will need to sign up for a plan, with fees starting from less than $10 per month.

One of the nice things about using Enlocked is that you’re not required to use a particular email application, address, or login to send and receive messages. Instead, you only need to hit a “Send Secure” button, which ensures that your messages are sent as secure attachments.

Similarly, people receiving a note from you that is sent via Enlocked can read the email in their standard Inbox, no matter the type of email application (such as Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, or other) that they use. However, to read a communication that has been sent securely, recipients do need to unlock the application’s key with their own password.

All messages sent via the Enlocked app are kept private from anyone other than the sender and recipients; this means hackers, email administrators, managers, and even governments cannot see your private communications. Furthermore, Enlocked staff and owners do not keep track of user passwords at all, or see them at any stage in the process. However, this security measure does mean that codes must be remembered because there is no way to retrieve a lost password and gain access to messages if you forget your combination.

3. Signal Private Messenger

Signal Private Messenger (previously released as two separate apps called RedPhone and TextSecure), is another free service that can put your mind at ease when it comes to security. The new version of the system combines the functionality of the two past incarnations into one, meaning that you can use it to keep VOIP voice calls and text messages safe from prying eyes.

Signal is downloadable for both Android and iOS devices, and makes it simple to communicate instantly with colleagues, friends, family members and other people in real time, without the cost of call charges or standard SMS fees. The system keeps all message formats (such as texts, videos, and pictures) secure, using an advanced end-to-end encryption protocol.

Download the app, create user groups if you want to chat securely with a number of people at once, and then go about sharing information, conversations, media links, attachments, photos, and more, without having to worry about who might listen in or access the files. Signal Private Messenger uses customer’s existing phone numbers and address books, so there are no new passwords or usernames to remember, and the firm’s server never gets access to, or stores, any of the data which is shared.