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IPhone users: Press your partner’s name (at the top of the screen) > View Safety NumberĪndroid users: Press Settings (the “three-dot” menu) > Conversation settings > Verify safety numbers Next, look for their “safety numbers.” These numbers represent the connection between your device and your conversational partner’s device. But Signal allows you to verify that your session is encrypted to the right person (and not an eavesdropping third party).įirst, open up a conversation with someone you want to talk to. Most messaging apps will not allow you to ensure the security of your connection with your conversational partners. Remote access and network eavesdropping Confirm your connection security with safety numbers These are some of the advantages you want in an encrypted messaging app.īecause newsrooms can attract a lot of attention, journalists who already use Signal should consider hardening it against physical access, as well as unwanted remote access and network-based eavesdropping. (The developers proved as much in court.) Finally, Signal retains nearly no metadata - information about who spoke to whom, and when. This also makes security audits simpler for independent specialists, who have torn apart the code and published findings that everything works as intended. Signal is open source, meaning the code is available for anyone to review. You don’t need to take their word for it. While regular phone calls or text messages allow your phone company to unscramble your conversations, even the team behind Signal can’t listen to them. On its face, it looks and feels identical to your default text messaging app, but security experts so often recommend it because of what it does in the background.įirst, Signal offers end-to-end encryption, meaning only conversational participants can read the messages. Signal makes it easy to have a secure conversation without thinking about it. (If you’re not yet using it, learn how to get started here.) While it’s a practical tool for anyone concerned with the security and privacy of their conversations, people working in newsrooms are particularly interesting targets, and should benefit from locking down Signal. The encrypted messaging app, Signal, is quickly becoming a newsroom staple for communicating with sources, accepting tips, talking to colleagues, and for regular old voice calls and messages.
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