Why Encrypt
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Much has been known about encryption recently. And on some level, you
probably have an idea about what it means.
You might recall, for instance, that the FBI and Apple have fought over
it. (Apple won.) Most large companies such as Google and Facebook
support Apple’s position. And that encryption keeps your “stuff” safe
from unwanted eyes.
The problem is that the idea of privacy is just that these days — an
idea.
“The way technology is woven into our daily lives, you can’t do without
it,” - Amy Danker. An employee at Epic Wines and Spirits told the
Oakland Tribune in a recent interview.
“So what’s your other option?
Are you gonna go back to a
pager?
I just assume that all my private information is already
available through my IP address. You don’t even think privacy exists,
because it doesn’t anymore, right?”
Natalie Plotnikova agrees, saying the arm of the law is getting too
long. “I don’t really like it,” Plotnikova told the Oakland Tribune as
she waited to be cleared through security at the Federal Building in San
Jose, “I don’t want the government to be able to use my phone to see my
information.”
This, say, experts, is why encryption is necessary and important —
especially in our current 24/7-connected environment where everything is
done on a smartphone. By having your information scrambled so that only
the person you are sending it to can see it, your privacy is maintained
and your information remains secure.
(Disclaimer this is not an advertisement.)
To that point, a technology from VirnetX—a company that created an app
called Gabriel, which uses encryption technology derived from a CIA
national security program — may be the answer.
The Gabriel app, available on the App Store and the Google Play Store,
was designed and built with personal privacy and security as a
foundational principle.
For only $10 to $15 per year, users can take advantage of the Gabriel
app and benefit from uncompromising encryption security when they talk,
video chat, text, email or share photographs or documents.
No one will be able to see, hear, or intercept your communications
except the party you’re in contact with because Gabriel does not
transmit or store data with any third party. It’s person-to-person
encryption that all but eliminates hacking possibilities.
Other benefits include:
Making free voice or video calls or sending instant messages to
other Gabriel members.
Receiving seamless email.
Sharing
pictures or files that can’t be intercepted.
So everyone reading this please see that you use encrypted services.
Senthil
Writer and Web developer
Philomath team