If asked, most people will claim they care about their real digital privacy rights. Yet most people don’t have phones with the highest level of encryption. Free apps boasting “end-to-end encryption,” which are often popular despite their security vulnerabilities, prove people are influenced by convincing slogans, no matter how many data breaches there have been and don’t do their research.
The average consumer may not feel like their phone contains multi-million-dollar secrets the way CEOs or politicians do. But hackers can convert anybody’s private information into profits, meaning anyone could be a target.
Let’s look at the level of security found in the most secure phone platforms.
Military-Grade Encryption
Encryption is a complicated subject and one doesn’t need to know what an encrypted phone is or fully understand how encryption works to understand not all forms of encryption are equal.
Even “end-to-end encryption” doesn’t signify the highest level of encryption. Don’t be swayed by popular apps that use security catchphrases to convince you they can’t be cracked. Also, many apps are used to collect user data sold to third-party companies as a part of their business model.
Complementary Security Features
Hacking gets a lot of attention in the media, but world-class security prevents any data breach, not just remote leaks. The most secure phones have a suite of secondary security features to keep your sensitive information confidential, even if a thief holds your phone in their hands.
As a first layer, the notebook lock screen lets users create a custom pin for two-factor security. The best phones also have a tamper-proof feature that lets you set up an optional duress password, which instantly deletes your personal information if someone enters the wrong password too many times.
The ability to wipe your phone remotely is excellent, so you can ensure people can’t obtain your notes, messages, and contacts. Self-destructing messages greatly increase the odds that only authorized people can look at specific messages, pictures, and notes.
