THE SECRET SERVICES

Whether its e-mails, messages, documents, photos, or even videos, there'll always be spies ­ hackers, snoopy colleagues, or even professional competitors ­ who would like nothing better than to intercept your correspondence, and get their hands on your stuff. Now, keeping all this information secure is a 24x7 activity.

Thankfully, there are resources on the Internet ­ some which are super fun to use ­ as well as a few apps that are quite effective against espionage.

Read on to find out...

MESSAGES THAT SELF DESTRUCT

How many of you remember that scene from Mission Impossible II where secret agent Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, gets a message from his spy master that self-destructs as soon as he reads it? Well, Privnote is a web message service that's not as dramatic as its movie counterpart, but follows the same principle of self destruction.

The service does not require you to register or sign up. Simply write your note, and you're provided with a link. Copy and paste that link into an e-mail (or instant message) to send it to your intended recipient. When that person clicks the link for the first time, they will see the note in their browser, after which, the note will automatically self-destruct so no one ­ not even that very same person ­ can read it again. The link won't work anymore. You can also choose to be notified when your note is read by leaving your e-mail and entering a reference code.http:www.privnote.com

HIDE MESSAGES IN IMAGES

Steganography is the science of hiding mes sages within another message in such a way that no one ­ apart from the sender and intended recipient ­ knows of its existence.

For a brilliant way to create your own steganographic messages, visit Mozaiq. Upload any image to the site (.png or .jpeg only). Type your secret message, but not more than 1024 characters. Choose a password, and then click on “Hide Your Message“.

Moziac will create a downloadable .png image file, which looks exactly like the original, but with your message encrypted within. You can rename the picture to something of your choice, but other than that, no other modifications ­ including converting into another file format ­ should be made to the picture. You can then send the file to your friends who will have to visit mozaiq.orgdecrypt and follow the instructions to read the secret message. Just make sure you message them about the password you've set.mozaiq.orgencrypt

ENCRYPT YOUR E-MAIL

Not as gimmicky as Mozaiq, but Top Secret E-Mail is an internet service that promises to get the job done just as well. To create a cryptic message, simply click on the “Encode a Message Now“ button, choose a case-sensitive password, and then type out your message. After you're done, click “Encode Now“.

The site processes your message and password using complex algorithms and spews out garbled alphanumeric text, which you can then send to your friend.

On receiving the text, your buddy will simply have to type in the password and copy paste the text you sent him into the “Decode a Message Now“ box and Voila! The good thing about this service is that there is no word limit for what you can encode, so you can send huge encrypted e-mails.

You can also consider Info Encrypt ­ a service that's similar to Top Secret E-Mail to send coded missives to your friends and colleagues.http:www.topsecretemail.com http:www.infoencrypt.com

PROTECT YOUR CHATS

ChatSecure lets you chat with friends on Google Hangouts (formerly Google Chat) and Jabber over an encrypted connection on your phone. Missives are not stored in the handset's system memory, so they cannot be accessed by third-party apps either.In order to start an “off-the-record“ conversation, your friends must also have this app installed on their handset. Once this mode is switched on, the app uses 128-bit AES encryption to protect your messages. You can also set a passcode to prevent strangers from gaining access to your chats. ChatSecure also includes a feature wherein you can set up a messaging group with friends and colleagues who are connected to the same Wi-Fi point. This is very handy when you don't want to use the internet connection or are in an office that has web restrictions in place.

Alternatively , you can also try Telegram, a free instant messaging app that encrypts messages using 256-bit symmetric AES encryption. It also lets you securely send files of any type, and you can even set a self-destruct timer to them.

CHATSECURE:

Android, iOS, Kindle Fire | Free

TELEGRAM:

web.telegram.org, Android, iOS, Windows Phone | Free

SECURE DATA...

There is always a threat that hackers might break into your cloud stor age services or gain access to your e-mail account. You can stay ahead of the snoop er's game by encrypting your confidential and personal files before storing or sharing them online.

Viivo, a security service for smartphones as well as Windows and Mac computers, uses 256bit AES encryption. Simply select the files you want to upload, after which the app encrypts, and then lets you choose the destination storage service. It lets you connect to Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive and also add the files as an attachment in your e-mail app. The file can only be decrypted by you on a PC or handset that has the software installed.

The recipient of your Viivo encrypted file will also need the app on his handset or PC.When he tries to decrypt the file, you are sent a notification seeking approval. And the file only opens at his end after you allow it.

Moreover, all files are automatically compressed before they are sent, so as to keep a check on data usage.Android, iOS, PC, Mac | Free

...AND STORAGE

Alternatively, you could consider switching to Mega. This service en crypts all your files locally on your PC or smartphone before uploading it. This ensures that even Mega employees cannot view your file contents. You get 50GB of free online space and only users with the encryption key , can access and view the encoded content.mega.nz, Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone | Free

LOCK YOUR APPS

Now that you know how to encrypt your chats and secure your data on the cloud, what about the apps on your phone? To prevent a stranger from going through your text messages or your child to have a field day on the Google Play Store, install AppLock and choose apps you want to lock down with a single passcode or pattern. You can even hide select pictures, videos or albums from the Gallery app.In fact, AppLock itself can be hidden from view to prevent anybody from trying to disable or uninstall it altogether.

It also lets you create multiple guest profiles where you can individually specify the apps and functions that other users can access. Android | Free

Source | Times of India| 6 July 2015