Tag Archives: Encryption

A Beginner’s Guide to Encryption: What It Is and How to Set it Up

A Beginner's Guide to Encryption: What It Is and How to Set it Up

Whitson Gordon

You’ve probably heard the word “encryption” a million times before, but if you still aren’t exactly sure what it is, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a basic introduction to encryption, when you should use it, and how to set it up.

What Is Encryption?

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How NOT to Store Passwords!

 

Unsecure coffee distribution system

Click on the title below to read the comic

Which Encryption Apps Are Strong Enough to Help You Take Down a Government?

Which Encryption Apps Are Strong Enough to Help You Take Down a Government?

It seems like these days I can’t eat breakfast without reading about some new encryption app that will (supposedly) revolutionize our communications — while making tyrannical regimes fall like cheap confetti.

This is exciting stuff, and I want to believe. After all, I’ve spent a lot of my professional life working on crypto, and it’s nice to imagine that people are actually going to start using it. At the same time, I worry that too much hype can be a bad thing — and could even get people killed.

Given what’s at stake, it seems worthwhile to sit down and look carefully at some of these new tools. How solid are they? What makes them different/better than what came before? And most importantly: should you trust them with your life?

To take a crack at answering these questions, I’m going to look at four apps that seem to be getting a lot of press in this area. In no particular order, these are Cryptocat, Silent Circle, RedPhone and Wickr.
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