Secure Messaging Systems
tag: [Engineer/Developer, Security Specialist]
Using secure messaging systems is crucial for protecting the privacy and integrity of your communications. Here are some popular messaging systems that offer end-to-end encryption and those that do not by default.
End-to-End Encrypted Messaging Systems
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Signal
- Offers strong end-to-end encryption for messages, voice calls, and video calls.
- Open source and highly recommended for secure communication.
- Signal
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Matrix/Element
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WhatsApp
- Provides end-to-end encryption for messages, voice calls, and video calls by default.
- Owned by Meta (Facebook).
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Wire
- End-to-end encryption for messages and calls
- Open source with a strong focus on privacy.
- Wire
Messaging Systems Without Default End-to-End Encryption
These messaging systems supposedly provides encryption for data in transit and at rest, but not end-to-end encryption for messages.
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Telegram
- Offers end-to-end encryption only for "Secret Chats".
- Telegram
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Discord
- Does not offer end-to-end encryption for messages.
- Discord
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Zoom
- End-to-end encryption for calls, but must be manually enabled.
- Zoom
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Slack
- Does not offer end-to-end encryption for messages.
- Slack
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Microsoft Teams
- Does not offer end-to-end encryption for messages.
- Microsoft Teams
For secure communication, it is recommended to use messaging systems that offer end-to-end encryption by default.