Skip to main content

Secure and encrypted instant messaging applications.

Being security-conscious isn’t an admission that you have info you’d be ashamed to share. It’s about not willing to broadcast every detail of your person to the fine folks in the IT department at work, or who-knows-who at the neighborhood cafe.

If you are interested in security and safety when we talk about an instant messaging, you have many options for encrypted IM. A reminder: IM encryption means ‘more difficult to read’, not ‘impossible to read’. Here’s a list of instant messenger encryption options and overviews of their features. If you’ve used any of these your comments would be welcome.

IM Crypto.
The problem with IM Crypto is that the free version allows only one secured contact. Also limited IM client support: Yahoo messenger and ICQ only, and platform-wise only Windows 2000/XP/Vista, at least for now. The interface is attractive though.

Brosix.
It’s an encrypted IM client aimed at corporate customers. It’s not free, but it includes value-added features like White Board and Screen Sharing, and pricing is less than US$2/user per month.

Bitwise.
It looks like a feature-rich encrypted IM option for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, with conferencing, whiteboards, fast file transfers and file sharing, and quite a few other features. Variable pricing structure, but the ‘BitWise IM Personal’ basic service is free.

Secway.
This instant messaging application offers its Simp line of IM encryption tools, which support popular clients including MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ/AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Jabber/Google Talk. Simp Server (in beta) handles Unix/Linux/Mac OS X platforms and is free.

Pidgin.
A lot of people hold Pidgin, formerly known as Gaim, in high regard for instant messaging. You will find Pidgin-Encryption, over at Sourceforge, available for the Windows version of the Pidgin IM client and with Gaim 1.x releases.

Retroshare.
This messaging software is an attractive-looking option for instant messaging and filesharing, that essentially includes IM encryption. It is open-source, cross platform (Windows/OSX/Linux) and server-less: you simply send your friend a key to set up your own IM network.

X-IM.
First off, there’s X-IM, with its 256-bit strong encryption and firewall compatibility. Free for the standard version, but for secure file transfer, digitally signed documents, and an ad-free interface, you’ll need to go for the Pro version. It advertises its “improved functionality under Windows XP”, but it appears from the site that it does not support other platforms.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Want To Get Answering Machine For Your IM?

Computer's personal often face problems when they have to take a break from their PC for some time and can’t answer to emails and instant messages. Actually, for email you can set up an autoresponder if you use Outlook software, and there’s a way out for gmail, too. But what can you do with your instant messenger? I have a lot of IM accounts for any purposes with different people in each account. So what utility can tell these people that I am out on a vacation or down with fever? Answer.im comes to the rescue by setting up an automated web based answering machine for your instant messenger. It works with MSN, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo and Google Talk as of now. How it Works Setting it up is very simple. First, hop over to http://answer.im/. Then, select your IM network (like GTalk, Yahoo, etc). Fill in your username and password and hit Login. Features Now, you can customize your automated reply and select the status you would like your account to remain at. Since the service is web based, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Durov: The phone of the richest man in the world was hacked through WhatsApp.

The founder of "VKontakte" and Telegram Pavel Durov said that back in November 2019 he warned about the vulnerability of the WhatsApp application, through which hackers hacked the smartphone of the richest man on the planet Jeff Bezos. Durov wrote about it in his Telegram-channel. Earlier, the company Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, noted that the businessman's mobile phone was hacked because of vulnerabilities in the operating system from Apple. At the same time, Durov is convinced that the problem is not iOS. " WhatsApp in its marketing campaign uses the words 'end-to-end encryption' as a magic spell, which itself should ensure the security of all communications. But this technology alone cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality," says the founder of Telegram. One of the drawbacks of end-to-end encryption, he says, is that backups of transmitted data are often not encrypted. In addition, says Durov, each application has "ways around...
Post a Comment
Read more

Primus to Provide VoIP for MSN Messenger

Primus Telecommunications Group, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to provide Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) services for MSN Messenger Service customers. Marketed as "PrimusTalk," once a user has logged into MSN Messenger Service, calls can be made by clicking on the "Make a Phone Call" link. A phone dialer will appear where a call can be made to any number -- national, international or mobile. The McLean, Va.-based Primus will provide PrimusTalk service as an Internet telephony application that can be accessed by any user accessing MSN Messenger Service. Specifically, the PC-to-phone service will be integrated with the MSN Messenger Service as an option that may be accessed by users of Microsoft client software programs. "Primus is leading the way to a carrier class era of converged communications solutions," said John Melick, co-president of Primus and one of the principal developers and implementers of the company's VoIP ...
Post a Comment
Read more