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Last month, I advised Facebook Messenger users to switch to its stablemate WhatsApp. The security differences between the two are night and day – and these days you really want to use nothing but a fully secure messenger. For the same reason, I have also advised users of all SMS messages – including iMessage and Google Messages – to avoid SMS where possible.
The obvious alternative, again, is WhatsApp. The world’s leading messenger is end – to – end encrypted with many new features along the way. I have easily recommended it as an alternative to messengers that are not encrypted at the end by default. But WhatsApp is owned by Facebook – that’s its downside. Many WhatsApp users do not trust Facebook to secure their data and keep this platform ad-free and non-monetized.
If you are among the 2 billion users of WhatsApp but want to change, to get away from Facebook, you are in luck. The last few months have leveled the playing field over usability, and some other platforms are securing new users so quickly to make it less unusual for a switch. There are many, many options, but, in my opinion, only two you have to choose from. They have their differences, but both touch the mark.
The first alternative – and in my opinion the best, is Signal. The security of WhatsApp is actually built around the Signal Protocol. Yes, that’s right, WhatsApp implemented an open-source version of a competitor’s technology. Signal used to be a somewhat painful compromise between security and usability. At every step, the app ensures that it never jeopardizes the security of your messages to make the user experience more rewarding. The signal was a bit clunky – the UI was not very good, and until recently, iPhone users could not transfer their history when buying a new device.
There are still compromises. A kind of security settings that make the app much more complex for a daily user than WhatsApp. These, however, are hidden. You can work with the default points. There are also no cloud backups. This is not guaranteed to be safe and therefore is not an option. When you switch to a new Android or iPhone device, Signal has several methods to recover your messages. At no point does it let your data slip into the clutches of Apple or Google’s cloud.
That means two things – first, there is no way for your data to be compromised anywhere on your phone. A little known weakness in the security of WhatsApp is that the default backup option is for the cloud (Apple’s like Google’s), without the protection of WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. According to Cyjax CISO Ian Thornton-Trump, whatever messenger you use, “security wise, save nothing in iCloud.”
But that also means that if you lose your iPhone, you lose your messages. Android users need to have a local backup file copied to offline storage and keep the 30-digit password secure to restore a new installation. This is not the seamless WhatsApp experience. Like said, no security compromises.
All that said, the usability of Signal is now brilliant. The multiple paired devices work like a charm – WhatsApp can learn here from Signal’s user experience. You can find desktop (Windows, Mac and Linux) and iPad apps. However, there are still no Android tablets or multiple smartphones. You will not receive message history when you enable a newly linked device, but as soon as you open the link it will receive all new messages. It is seamless and significantly better than WhatsApp’s clunky desktop app.
If you change, you will not be alone. Signal installations are great at the moment. It makes a point of not including metadata, it has no way of responding to law enforcement requests for data, and this has gained prominence in recent protests. Despite crackdowns from lawmakers on encrypted messaging, EU Commission staff were told earlier this year to move from WhatsApp to Signal, precisely because it is seen as safer and does not risk business compromises. Enough.
Signal offers a WhatsApp-like experience without the spectacle of Facebook behind it. But – and it’s a big one, but user numbers remain small. A few tens of millions, not hundreds of millions or even billions. And so you need to use WhatsApp in parallel as you convince your contacts to make the switch.
The other WhatsApp alternative is the much more popular Telegram, with a rapidly growing installation base of around 400 million users. Telegram is the pirate of the messaging world. Founded in Russia, it is now reportedly headquartered in Dubai, although it remains tight-lipped about the whereabouts of its engineers and management.
The big downside of Telegram is that it is not standard end-to-end encryption, although it does have a “secret” chat option for person. Telegram has a server-based architecture, encoding between end devices and servers with its own security protocol. It says it is different from WhatsApp because it allows multi-platform and device access.
Secret conversations, that are end-to-end encryptions are limited to one device on each side. Telegram has even better multi-platform options than Signal, but these are not built to work with end-to-end coding in the same way that Signal has succeeded.
ESET cybersecurity guru Jake Moore warns users to take note of this difference. “All signal chats are naturally encrypted from end to end,” he says, “which is a must for me. I would not use a communication platform if it was not set up to promote privacy. Secret calls are available on request on Telegram, but I feel that all posts today without question should confirm by default.
Telegram does not have the same transparent security as Signal, its server-based architecture and lack of end-to-end coding introduces the potential for data compromise. But the platform is proud to hold content from the authorities, and until the recent growth of Signal was the messenger choice of Protestants worldwide.
Where Telegram is different from other messengers are their options for groups and channels. Groups can have as many as 200,000 members, while channels can have an unlimited number of subscribers. If you immediately assume that this presents options for broadcasts to protest and dissident groups, or perhaps secretly broadcast radical or malicious messages, then these are exactly the claims that are being made.
Telegram has its roots in Russia, and was designed to facilitate secure communication between citizens without fear of compromise by the authorities. Even there have been issues with the potential for vulnerabilities to enable security agencies to monitor such groups, record content or even identify members, but Telegram is working quickly to patch these.
Two very different options. If you are a WhatsApp user every day and want a non-Facebook solution, then my advice would be to opt for Signal. But Telegram has a very loyal and fast growing user base. It is independent and has built its platform for the safety of its users. It remains the most popular choice for messages within authoritarian regimes. It is a viable, though very different alternative.
According to Moore, “frequently used messaging apps like WhatsApp are popular because users can usually assume that their contact will also use it as one number one choice – Signal and Telegram are underestimated because people still do not value and privacy and value data security as highly as convenience. ”
The irony with WhatsApp is that Facebook has become the world’s biggest advocate for secure messaging, and it is defending against U.S. lawmakers who want to introduce backdoors to give researchers access to user content. At the same time, Facebook has spent the last two years defending its own track record on user privacy and data security. It is not surprising that when I recommend WhatsApp, a Facebook platform, it asks for a lot of reader feedback that tells me why that does not work for them.
“WhatsApp is fine, as long as you don’t discuss sensitive information,” warns security adviser Sean Wright, echoed by his colleague Mike Thompson, who says that “if your risk profile is small, it doesn’t really matter. If you have state secrets. share, do not use WhatsApp. ”
“The only way these security-conscious apps would beat their competitors,” says Moore, “would be if the general public started to get behind the data security movement and make a tipping point. Only if you can assume that all your contacts have the app will it’s becoming the norm for everyday users.Before this happens, I fear that Signal and Telegram will continue to be an underground messaging platform used only by security guards and those who care about their data.
Either way – Signal, Telegram or sticking with WhatsApp, you can be sure that your messages are safe and secure. The most important advice here is to decrypt unencrypted messengers. No matter how trivial you think your conversation may be, it’s always best to make sure you know who they might be reading.
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