While it’s been on the market for iOS for almost a year, Silent Text is finally hitting Android. With concerns over cyber security reaching critical levels, it couldn’t come any sooner.
What does it do?
Silent text is part of Silent Circle’s suite of encryption services, which are available by subscription at about $US10 per month. With Silent Text, you’re basically getting a suped up version of SnapChat that’s actually, you know, reliable. Users can transfer up to 100MB files — any type of file at all — with end-to-end encryption, the keys of which are stored on the users’ own devices. So even if someone managed to hack into Silent Circle’s servers, your data would be totally unreadable. The Snapchat-ness comes in in the fact that users can set files to be destroyed immediately after they’re viewed.
Why do we like it?
Whether your job makes you to prone to encountering sensitive information or you just like to pretend that your job makes you prone to encountering sensitive information, Silent Text is something that should set most of your worries at ease. With the recent NSA leaks being followed by supposedly secure subscription email carriers shutting down, the hyper-paranoid have more fuel than ever to feed their fears. So while it is unfortunate that you need to be a Silent Circle member to make use of the service, if you’re someone to whom this would even mildly appeal, it might be worth looking into.
Stay vigilant, friends — and trust no one.
Silent Text
Download this app for: Android (free with Silent Circle subscription $US10 per month)
The best part: end-to-end encryption
The worst part: have to be a Silent Circle user