Increasing numbers of mobile users and companies are becoming more security conscious regarding the privacy levels offered by their cellular communications, with many now insisting that all forms of communication involving the exchange of sensitive information be conducted via secure means. Businesses are legally required to be compliant with the HIPAA act to ensure their client information remains secure, or public figures attempting to keep their private lives to themselves instead of unwittingly sharing it with a stalker or paparazzi.
TextSecure is a free app that can accomplish just that, it functions with the current phone dialler and user mobile number, but will keep the paparazzi, NSA, or the weird geek from IT from hacking into your messages. The app encrypts all over the air communications and keeps them safely encrypted once the message arrives on the mobile device as well.
RedPhone, another free app and peer to TextSecure also works in conjunction with your current contact list and dialler, but allows its users to conduct secure encrypted VoIP calls to other RedPhone users. It also alerts its user when another RedPhone user is calling them so the call can be conducted fully encrypted, and users have no need to worry that they might fall victim to the NSA while discussing their plans to take over the world with Dr Doom.
Wickr a third free app whose developers believe the most secure message is one that does not exist and no-one can prove otherwise if it went poof up in virtual smoke. It offers its users a fully secure texting service than even offers the capacity to manage media. The user sets the time of validity before sending a message and it then self-destructs when that time limit has been exceeded….no not the phone, just the message! This ensures ultimate security, even if the receiver shows it to another person there remains no evidence and the information simply becomes ugly hearsay.