When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
WhatsApp, Signal and Facebook Messenger all offer end-to-end encryption.
Regular SMS messages aren’t encrypted, and RCS encryption is dependent on who you’re talking to.
But why does that matter?
The warning comes after one of thelargest intelligence breachesin US history.
Whats concerning about this latest attack is its scale and severity.
Its because of this that the FBI has recommended that Americans switch to thebest encrypted appsto protect their communications.
But what does that actually mean and will encrypted messaging really keep you safe from cybercriminals?
Heres what the experts suggest.
What do the experts say?
The advice was welcomed by privacy experts, who have long advocated for wider use of encrypted communication systems.
What should you do?
End-to-end encryption adds an important layer of security to your digital conversations.
In simple terms, it scrambles your messaging data into a form thats unreadable if accessed by a third-party.
The contents can only be unscrambled with the key and only the sender and receiver have that key.
Theres a good chance youre already using a messaging service which features end-to-end encryption.
Apps suchWhatsApp, Signal and Telegram are all end-to-end encrypted, as areGoogleMessages andAppleiMessage.
While end-to-end encryption is important, it isnt the quite the total solution that the FBI seems to suggest.
Thats why its also important to follow a fewfundamental stepsto secure your smartphone and other devices.
These include keeping your devices updated with the latest software versions.
You should also use a strong password as another line of defence against data breaches.
To help you, you could use one of thebest password generators.
verify youre not using default or easily guessed passwords on your devices, advises Forno.
And consider using two-factor authentication to further strengthen the security of any critical internet accounts.
