Over two billion smartphone owners worldwide use mobile messaging—and they’re increasingly worried about their exposure to government snooping and intercept. At the same time, mobile hacking is becoming more and more common. That’s made encryption and privacy a hot topic in the wireless space—with the latest launch being G DATA’s secure messaging chat app.
Secure Chat, initially available for Android, offers multiple-encrypted SMS and chat communication that also includes sharing of files such as images or graphics. Users also retain the rights to their images and texts without fear of third party exploitation or re-use. There’s also a self-destruct timer included, so the sender can specify when images or messages are deleted—even on the recipient's device.
The app also allows backup of local chat history on an SD card and the encryption of local chat history using a password.
Premium features include a phishing filter for URLs in chat messages, a filter for incoming and outgoing messages and SMS; and the ability to hide SMS messages from specific contacts.
The firm has opted for the secure Axolotl protocol to lock down the communications. Due to its elliptic curve cryptography process, the Axolotl protocol is one of the more unhackable encryption methods out there. G DATA also is using a method that allows the servers for Secure Chat to be located on company premises, which allows it to guarantee its customers’ adherence with the German data protection act.
“In today’s world, the privacy of the individual as well as businesses is in constant peril with the growing ability of hackers to tap into and steal data,” said Andy Hayter, security evangelist at G DATA. “We created the Secure Chat app with the strongest encryption protocol possible, to offer users the ability to easily communicate with each other without having to worry about the security of their conversations and data.