Over the last five newsletters, we’ve explained the Mula platform, MulaMail, recent challenges to your privacy, the basics of email security, and how to safely handle video conferencing in your everyday life, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With COVID-19 continuing to alter the way we fundamentally engage in communication, we’ll be focusing this newsletter on secure messaging, outside of email.
Most users today communicate through chat, whether it be through SMS or apps, such as Facebook messenger.
In many cases, the same messaging applications we rely on to carry our intimate private or crucial business conversations maintain massive faults that can easily be exploited, risking your privacy and security.
From losses due to poorly managed databases to key product security shortcomings to high end targeting by state-supported actors, there are many ways to access relevant information shared through chat.
Even Jeff Bezos has found his digital life compromised.
While it is impossible to protect yourself against all forms of digital intrusion, there are simple ways to protect yourself against many of them.
If you feel that the information you’re sending warrants a higher level of security, don’t be afraid to suggest an alternate messaging app.
Perhaps the easiest is by using encrypted services while also urging those you interact with to do the same.
This can be accomplished by integrating programs like Signal, Whatsapp, Telegram, and Silence, which all allow for end-to-end encryption in your communication pipeline.
While all of those programs do offer major pros and cons, such as automatic vs individual encryption, or differing capacities such as video and picture encryption, it is important to point out that Whatsapp, in particular, maintains its own very specific flaw, it is owned by Facebook.
This means that although Whatsapp is one of the more robust and widely range messaging platforms mentioned above, it could contribute to the data collection practices of the world's biggest social network. For some that may not be too concerning, but for many in the security world, it's a massive red flag.
The connection between Facebook and Whatsapp was concerning enough that Jan Koum, a founder of the messaging app WhatsApp, allegedly chose to leave Facebook after growing increasingly concerned about the company’s position on user data in recent years.
While the thought of the largest encrypted message provider potentially being compromised should cause worry there are some important updates we’d like to share with the Mula community, one of which directly relates to secure messaging!
Development on our private messaging platform MulaMessage is coming along swimmingly. We’d like to introduce you to the latest addition to the Mula Platform:
MulaMessage Splash Screen
MulaMessage is our private, spam-free, and encrypted end-to-end messaging system that allows users to communicate quickly and efficiently with each other in a confidential environment. Unlike large data-hungry tech giants, we aim to genuinely protect your data.
Signing up for MulaMail reserves your MulaMessage username.
Due to the modular approach of the Mula Platform, you can activate one service without activating the others. Register your Mula username today by clicking here.