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A New Alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram MessengerLUCERNE, Switzerland, Jan. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeSwiss Secure Communications AG have just released a new alternative for consumers in an already crowded market. With a myriad of competitors within this space SafeSwiss offers a total secure communication platform & unlike many others this includes secure voice, text chat, group chat & ephemeral messaging. SafeSwiss is now available to be downloaded free from both iTunes & Google Play stores. "A free PC version is expected to be released within the next week," says CEO Tim Gallagher. "We have some exciting developments on our roadmap moving forward including secure video calls & a comprehensive B2B offering." IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/safeswiss-secure-communication/id1176312389?l=en&ls=1&mt=8 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.safeswiss.prod Gallagher says "WhatsApp have done a remarkable job introducing encryption to the masses in an extremely short timeframe with over one billion users, recent headlines claiming WhatsApp had backdoor access was in reality media sensationalism, this issue stemmed from protocol for managing crypto key exchange a fundamental requirement for a robust encryption solution, It was unjustified to claim this was a back door, SafeSwiss we use state of art trusted open source NaCl cryptography library for encryption, all encryption keys are generated and safely stored on user's devices to prevent any backdoor access or copies eliminting any possibility of MiM (man in the middle) attack." WhatsApp users need to consider WhatsApp's announcement that they were sharing user data with owner Facebook that went back on earlier promises and caused upset with customers, but it is not the only company engaging in this type of behaviour. US wireless provider Verizon, for example, sells its customers' smartphone data to businesses via its Precision Market Insights program. This information includes searches, app usage, location and other data. Although Verizon says the data is stripped of any identifying features, the fact that it is collected at all is likely to make some users uncomfortable. An important consideration is "The companies whose services you use may not be keeping your data secure enough on your behalf." "Unlike most other providers, SafeSwiss allows users to determine their own unique ID, & it's optional if they want to include phone number and email details. This goes a long way to eliminate potential vulnerabilities associated with 2 x factor authentication and provides anonymity," says CEO Tim Gallagher. This vulnerability was exposed in a recent Telegram messenger hack where Iranian hackers compromised more than a dozen accounts on the Telegram instant messaging service and identified the phone numbers of some 15 million Iranian users, this is the largest known breach of the encrypted communications system, cyber researchers told Reuters. These attacks jeopardized the communications of activists, journalists and other people in sensitive positions in Iran, where Telegram is used by some 20 million people, said independent cyber researcher Collin Anderson and Amnesty International technologist Claudio Guarnieri, who have been studying Iranian hacking groups for three years. Telegram's vulnerability, according to Anderson and Guarnieri, lies in its use of SMS text messages to activate new devices. When users want to log on to Telegram from a new phone, the company sends them authorization codes via SMS, which can be intercepted by the phone company and shared with the hackers, the researchers said. Armed with the codes, the hackers can add new devices to a person's Telegram account, enabling them to read chat histories as well as new messages. When providers collect data on their customers, the threat to your privacy goes beyond just what they're giving to law enforcement agencies or selling to other companies. The Yahoo data breach or the LinkedIn hacks in 2012 and earlier this year show that the practice of collecting and storing your information leads to compromised situations - you can keep yourself secure, but the companies whose services you use may not be keeping your data safe enough on your behalf. By using secure, encrypted communication like SafeSwiss, you limit the amount of data that is being held on you by digital providers. Media contact: To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-new-alternative-to-whatsapp-telegram-messenger-300398138.html SOURCE SafeSwiss Secure Communications AG 
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