Tech companies step up security to ensure privacy

Most people, especially the older generation who are wary of and literally fear online applications, will tell you that they avoid any online transactions because they value their privacy.
Even those who might have Facebook and Twitter accounts, rarely post anything and when they do, whatever they post is only available to a close circle of family and friends.

Instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Telegram are becoming more popular because of their ability to send quick messages and receive immediate responses.

Unlike emails which can go unread for days, text messages always show notifications to the sender once they are delivered and, at times, even when they are read.

The popularity of these services cuts across social circles as well as business corporates who want to maintain close contact with their clientele.

Charles Gichuki, the co-founder and chief operating officer of Ongair, a Kenyan company that allows businesses to manage instant messaging with their customers, says that more businesses prefer to use WhatsApp when it comes to instant messaging.

“The fact that a huge number of people have basic smartphones that can access WhatsApp makes it a more widespread means of communication for companies,” he explained.

Prying eyes
Knowing that whatever application you are using keeps your message and content safe from ‘prying eyes’ online is one of the assurances they seek in order to use these services.
For the telecom industry, who are the primary providers of data services and on whom these messaging services anchor, security is one are they consider seriously.

Mohammad Ghaddar, the chief executive officer Africell Uganda, said data is 100 per cent secure.

“As a telecom provider, our services are encrypted which protects the information from the prying eyes and those who might want to access your information.

“Companies like financial institutions ask their clients to send complaints and concerns to a dedicated WhatsApp number wherever they are in the world and get an immediate response from the customer relations teams,” he said.

This might be sensitive information about bank accounts or medical information which, if it fell in the wrong hands, could cause irreparable damage to the customers.

It is no wonder that technology companies which own these services have since the beginning of the year been in a race to ensure the millions of messages sent across their platforms on a daily basis are encrypted for enhanced security.

Apple, known for its iPhone mobile phones is one of the companies that have taken the privacy and security of their customers a notch higher.

In March, Apple and American Federal Bureau of Investigations ended up in court after the technology company refused to give access to the locked phone of an individual who was alleged to be involved in the mass shooting at San Bernardino.

Encyrption
Encryption ensures the message you are sending is scrambled and cannot be read by an unauthorised person or hackers who can intercept the message. It is only the intended user, with the cipher algorithm who can decrypt the data and interpret the message.

Just last week Viber, the online messaging app that also allows you to make free phone calls over the internet announced it had completed an end-to-end encryption of its platform for all devices in the latest update to be released in coming weeks.
This means the video or voice calls, messages and photos sent on Android and Apple devices as well as personal computers and Mac desktops will be more secure.

In a press statement, Michael Shmilov, Viber COO, said the company took users’ security and privacy very seriously.
“We have spent a long time working on this latest update to ensure that our users have the most sophisticated security available and maximum control over their communications. We will continue to make this an ongoing priority as digital communication evolves,” he said.

Viber also launched Hidden Chats which allows users to hide specific chats from the main screen so no-one but the user knows they exist. These chats can only be accessed using a four digit PIN, providing an additional layer of privacy to their personal communications.

The announcement by Viber comes two weeks after WhatsApp announced that it now had end-to-end encryption at all times for both individual and group communications through their latest version.

Catch is, if you are sending messages to a friend who is yet to update their WhatsApp either on the phone or computer to the newest version then it is possible for hackers or other unauthorised individuals including the tech company itself, to access the information that is being passed.

From the onset, messaging app Telegram from Google Play, marketed itself as a free and secure platform that allows you to send messages faster and create chat groups of up to 5,000 people. It’s different from WhatsApp in that one can access their messages from several devices at once.

Secret chats
Telegram offers Secret Chats which give users the option of having an additional layer of security with end-to-end encryption for sensitive information.

Once a message is deleted from either side, it is automatically deleted on the other device as well. Such encrypted messages cannot, however, be forwarded to other individuals.

Technology companies have gone out of their way to ensure that they provide the most secure platforms, so now you can communicate with friends or loved ones certain that private messages or company trade secrets will not land in wrong hands.
Look out for encrypted platforms like WhatsApp which is much easier for all parties to use and that are most cost-effective.
For Telegram, look for Secret Chats to ensure your communication is secure.