Messaging platform Signal has been in the news this week after The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief was mistakenly added to a group chat involving top military figures.
Signal is a well-regarded messaging platform for secure communication.
It is downloaded to iOS or Android devices, with linked phone numbers, and uses end-to-end encryption by default, with additional protections for private discussions.
This makes messages unreadable on their journey to the recipient, and decrypted only when they reach their destination, making it a popular choice for journalists, activists and those wanting assured privacy.
However, it is not completely foolproof, and merits caution as well as the correct usage of features to ensure privacy is maintained.
A useful extra step to avoid mistaking display names can be found here.