THE SECRET SERVICES
Whether its e-mails, messages, documents,
photos, or even videos, there'll always be spies hackers, snoopy colleagues,
or even professional competitors who would like nothing better than to
intercept your correspondence, and get their hands on your stuff. Now, keeping
all this information secure is a 24x7 activity.
Thankfully,
there are resources on the Internet some which are super fun to use as well
as a few apps that are quite effective against espionage.
Read on to find
out...
MESSAGES THAT SELF DESTRUCT
How many of
you remember that scene from Mission Impossible II where secret agent Ethan
Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, gets a message from his spy master that
self-destructs as soon as he reads it? Well, Privnote is a web message service
that's not as dramatic as its movie counterpart, but follows the same principle
of self destruction.
The service
does not require you to register or sign up. Simply write your note, and you're
provided with a link. Copy and paste that link into an e-mail (or instant
message) to send it to your intended recipient. When that person clicks the
link for the first time, they will see the note in their browser, after which,
the note will automatically self-destruct so no one not even that very same
person can read it again. The link won't work anymore. You can also choose to
be notified when your note is read by leaving your e-mail and entering a
reference code.http:www.privnote.com
HIDE MESSAGES IN IMAGES
Steganography
is the science of hiding mes sages within another message in such a way that no
one apart from the sender and intended recipient knows of its existence.
For a
brilliant way to create your own steganographic messages, visit Mozaiq. Upload
any image to the site (.png or .jpeg only). Type your secret message, but not
more than 1024 characters. Choose a password, and then click on “Hide Your
Message“.
Moziac will
create a downloadable .png image file, which looks exactly like the original,
but with your message encrypted within. You can rename the picture to something
of your choice, but other than that, no other modifications including
converting into another file format should be made to the picture. You can
then send the file to your friends who will have to visit mozaiq.orgdecrypt and
follow the instructions to read the secret message. Just make sure you message
them about the password you've set.mozaiq.orgencrypt
ENCRYPT YOUR E-MAIL
Not as
gimmicky as Mozaiq, but Top Secret E-Mail is an internet service that promises
to get the job done just as well. To create a cryptic message, simply click on
the “Encode a Message Now“ button, choose a case-sensitive password, and then
type out your message. After you're done, click “Encode Now“.
The site
processes your message and password using complex algorithms and spews out
garbled alphanumeric text, which you can then send to your friend.
On receiving
the text, your buddy will simply have to type in the password and copy paste
the text you sent him into the “Decode a Message Now“ box and Voila! The good
thing about this service is that there is no word limit for what you can
encode, so you can send huge encrypted e-mails.
You can also
consider Info Encrypt a service that's similar to Top Secret E-Mail to send
coded missives to your friends and colleagues.http:www.
PROTECT YOUR CHATS
ChatSecure
lets you chat with friends on Google Hangouts (formerly Google Chat) and Jabber
over an encrypted connection on your phone. Missives are not stored in the
handset's system memory, so they cannot be accessed by third-party apps
either.In order to start an “off-the-record“ conversation, your friends must
also have this app installed on their handset. Once this mode is switched on,
the app uses 128-bit AES encryption to protect your messages. You can also set
a passcode to prevent strangers from gaining access to your chats. ChatSecure
also includes a feature wherein you can set up a messaging group with friends
and colleagues who are connected to the same Wi-Fi point. This is very handy
when you don't want to use the internet connection or are in an office that has
web restrictions in place.
Alternatively
, you can also try Telegram, a free instant messaging app that encrypts
messages using 256-bit symmetric AES encryption. It also lets you securely send
files of any type, and you can even set a self-destruct timer to them.
CHATSECURE:
Android, iOS,
Kindle Fire | Free
TELEGRAM:
web.telegram.org,
Android, iOS, Windows Phone | Free
SECURE DATA...
There is
always a threat that hackers might break into your cloud stor age services or
gain access to your e-mail account. You can stay ahead of the snoop er's game
by encrypting your confidential and personal files before storing or sharing
them online.
Viivo, a
security service for smartphones as well as Windows and Mac computers, uses
256bit AES encryption. Simply select the files you want to upload, after which
the app encrypts, and then lets you choose the destination storage service. It
lets you connect to Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive and also add the files
as an attachment in your e-mail app. The file can only be decrypted by you on a
PC or handset that has the software installed.
The
recipient of your Viivo encrypted file will also need the app on his handset or
PC.When he tries to decrypt the file, you are sent a notification seeking
approval. And the file only opens at his end after you allow it.
Moreover,
all files are automatically compressed before they are sent, so as to keep a
check on data usage.Android, iOS, PC, Mac | Free
...AND STORAGE
Alternatively,
you could consider switching to Mega. This service en crypts all your files
locally on your PC or smartphone before uploading it. This ensures that even
Mega employees cannot view your file contents. You get 50GB of free online
space and only users with the encryption key , can access and view the encoded
content.mega.nz, Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone | Free
LOCK YOUR APPS
Now that you
know how to encrypt your chats and secure your data on the cloud, what about
the apps on your phone? To prevent a stranger from going through your text
messages or your child to have a field day on the Google Play Store, install
AppLock and choose apps you want to lock down with a single passcode or
pattern. You can even hide select pictures, videos or albums from the Gallery
app.In fact, AppLock itself can be hidden from view to prevent anybody from
trying to disable or uninstall it altogether.
It also lets
you create multiple guest profiles where you can individually specify the apps
and functions that other users can access. Android | Free
Source
| Times of India| 6 July 2015
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