There is a world of difference between what developers of free apps for encrypted communications promise users and the level of security you get with encrypted communications using a hardened device. Professionals working in finance, law, or other industries need tools that keep them connected to colleagues, but it should never come with risks to their sensitive information’s security.
Most people underestimate how risky smartphones are, even if they’re generally aware of threats presented by hackers and data thieves. Let’s take a closer look at the security features professionals need to stay securely connected.
Software Built for Security
The leading mobile solutions are engineered for secure end-to-end encryption in transit and at rest. Most phones have a patchwork of features meant to bolster security, but they’re undermined by security weaknesses elsewhere.
You will enjoy the maximum security possible when using encrypted cell phone communication on a platform built from the ground up for privacy. Professionals routinely send photographs that are just as sensitive as any text message.
Look for a platform that features an encrypted camera. Every digital photograph contains metadata, such as GPS location, so they need protection as much as any other component of your phone.
No Third-Party Apps
Sometimes it feels like smartphone apps’ data liabilities and popularity are equal. To be sure, some third-party apps present bigger risks than others, but downloading any app on your phone introduces significant security risks that wouldn’t be there otherwise.
Most users don’t realize how many permissions they’re granting to app developers or how reckless the developers are when storing and handling users’ personal information. After you download the app, there’s no going back: users can’t possibly know how the developers are sharing, storing, and selling their data.
Look for a hardened phone platform that is deliberately incompatible with third-party apps.
Secondary Security Features
People tend to think about information breaches as resulting from remote hacks. What if a professional somehow loses their phone, or someone steals it? The most secure phone platforms come with secondary security features to keep your data safe.
For example, the remote wipe feature erases your phone, no matter how far away you are from the device itself. Even if you lose the phone, you’ll always have full control over its data.
Sever Storage Matters
Most hackers are smart and experienced enough to look for data where it’s most vulnerable.They can’t crack advanced encryption, so they see if they can find data stored unencrypted on the server.
That’s why the most secure platforms take a proprietary approach to server storage. Data stored there should be encrypted, always. Plus, the most secure platforms only store the bare minimum data on their server, like username, activation date, and expiry date.
In the modern tech era, phones are the primary tool of every trade. You can’t be a working professional without a phone, but a data breach can be your professional undoing. The only solution, then, is using a phone that ticks off all the boxes described above.
