I just installed Signal on my iPhone and Windows laptop. For end-to-end encrypted conversations with people you know, Signal may be of great use for you in our troubled times. You can text, send and receive images, make voice calls and video calls, all via an fully-encrypted, internet (non-cellular) connection. And before anyone points it out, yes, your cellphone is capable of WiFi calling.

With Signal installed on my laptop, I was able to call my wife's phone, a capability whose value should be obvious. In order to perform this function, the phone of the person you're calling must have Signal installed.

Of the apps mentioned in this video, session is the tech guy's favorite, and his reasoning is sound. Unlike Signal, your identity in Session is not tied to your phone number. This is why I say Signal is great for secure communications with people you know, whereas Session provides greater anonymity when contacting or being contacting someone you don't know personally and trust.

Signal, Session and other encrypted messaging apps are available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Signal for iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux is available here.

Just as with my threads on radios for non-cellular communications and my threads over the years on shoring up your firepower, I strongly urge you to give consideration to my recommendations.

I’ve been on Signal for years, amazing to me the amount of people who use Facebook Messenger or other such nonsense and then are shocked when targeted ads hit their phones.

Signal is rolling out username identities now. No longer will need to share cell number.

Been using Signal since almost the start.

I use the note to self a bunch to get stuff between phone and desktop.

I've been on Signal with friends/family and with our Anti-Mandate work group since the fall of 2021.

Was introduced to Signal many years ago when my oldest son did his first deployment in the sandbox. My nephew who is in Baghdad now uses it as well.
Highly recommend.

Why should I believe that any/all of these encryption services are hack proof?
And I would be very confident that the govt already can read messages or hear your calls.
I have never thought that any VPN system is even remotely fool proof.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
Why should I believe that any/all of these encryption services are hack proof?

You're welcome to believe whatever you want. I wouldn't waste my time trying to convince anyone who takes the stance I see from you: "I don't know any different, but I believe the worst."

Have fun with that. This thread is for people who strive to minimize risks. Obviously, that is not you. "All is shit, so, why bother?" That's what you're saying. I suppose I should have anticipated such profound cynicism from a few of you.

I have used Signal for years. It is mostly what I used In Turks. My local representative preferred this method of texting.

I've been using Signal, and touting its benefits, for years. Often right here on SF.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
Why should I believe that any/all of these encryption services are hack proof?

Signal Private Messenger isn't an "encryption service," per se, but an app that employs high-grade end-to-end encryption. All Signal's servers do is help the ends find one another.

As for "hack-proof": There is no such thing. Anybody who tells you differently is either clueless or blowing smoke up your backside. But there are things sufficiently hack-resistant to make hacking them out of reach for most that would care to and not worth the effort for those who do have access to the resources.

SPM's code, btw, is open source.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
And I would be very confident that the govt already can read messages or hear your calls.

You can't just decrypt a SPM session and automagically have the keys to all of them. In fact: No modern encryption system works that way.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
I have never thought that any VPN system is even remotely fool proof.

SPM and these other messaging tools are not VPNs.

You really don't understand what these tools are, yet you're casting aspersions on their capabilities

quote:

Originally posted by dave7378:
I have used Signal for years. It is mostly what I used In Turks. My local representative preferred this method of texting.

Yeah, since you're in my contacts, you showed up in Signal for me as soon as I installed it.

I like a few things about Signal in particular. The ability to add and delete people from groups. Setting messages to disappear in X amount of time. And secure group calling with one touch.

We've been using Signal for the last few years without issue. Here is a little more info on the User Name Identity option.

https://support.signal.org/hc/...sernames-Deeper-Dive

I use Signal And WhatsApp.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
I like a few things about Signal in particular. The ability to add and delete people from groups. Setting messages to disappear in X amount of time. And secure group calling with one touch.

The ability to add and delete people from groups is absolutely awesome so you don't have to start new threads.

Quote:
Why should I believe that any/all of these encryption services are hack proof?


Did anybody notice the ? At the end of the sentence?

I was asking a question in order to learn something.

Sorry if my wording wasn't up to everyone's standards.

You want to be convinced of something regarding a subject you don't know enough about to begin with, and in the process, you discount the endorsement of these things by others in this forum that you know, but apparently do not trust. My response to you is the same as before: given your attitude and your approach, no one here is going to try to convince you of anything.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
I use Signal And WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses the same end-to-end encryption mechanism as SPM, but WhatsApp is owned by Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and...



I refuse to use it.

Sorry the infographic above is so large I shrunk it down as far as I could and it still be legible.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
I was asking a question in order to learn something.

I'm not buyin' it, but, just in case that's truly so: What convinced me was the recommendation of Bruce Schneier, "...an American cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist, and writer." If Schneier says it's GTG, IMO it's GTG.

The digital keyring (aka: "password manager") I use, Password Safe, was designed by Schneier. (It's also open source.)

I just heard about the phone and apps developed by Eric Prince (of Blackwater fame). I don't know much about it yet, as I just found it about an hour ago. His company is called Unplugged seems like something to dig further into. I think if anyone had access to this type of tech and how to get it going, he would.

It was at the end of the podcast HKAngusKL posted in his thread Patrick Bet David interview with Erik Prince.

Thanks for the post Para to get this started and thanks for the geek stuff Ensi. I'm a guy that thinks he's protected and is probably not. Ensigmatic, I don't use any "chat" services on my desktop but do have Express VPN. I do do texting with my family on my phone and maybe a business item or two. I do very little browsing on my phone (airports, waiting rooms, etc.) Most of my stuff is through email which I do on my desktop. Do I need Signal or equivalent? Maybe not now but in the future? I'm certainly not averse to using it but I had never thought about it.

I also use Signal. I toss some loot at them when they ask. I’m hoping it helps it to stay viable.

So it is free and occasionally ask for donations?