What Is Private Messaging?

The definition of the word private is “belonging to or concerning only the person or group named”. When we talk about private messaging, we are talking about an instance of communication that is intended for a particular person and/or group. Unfortunately, a lot of communications online aren't really private. On most popular platforms, all that you say, share or tell, is actually either stored on servers or can be easily accessed and even leaked by the service providers or cybercriminals.

This raises the question if private messaging really exists? Luckily, it does. In this article, we will talk about just that, covering why it's really important for society and we'll also touch upon how Kraden creates a genuinely private communication environment.

Everyone has a basic right to have a private life. A person should be able to communicate in confidence and privacy at their wish, without facing the risk of a 3rd party listening in, accessing their info, etc. That's not the case with some of the most popular messenger apps. For example, Facebook Messenger uses the same ad targeting as Facebook, monitoring your activity, habits, likes, and dislikes to profit from your behavior patterns.

They could even be able to know what kind of emojis you use, and what kind of words you say. Furthermore, the contents of your messages aren't encrypted, so if any government or institution wanted to, they could potentially read what you're saying. The same thing could apply to hackers or wrongdoers who decide to steal from you.

And with over a billion users, this can create a problem.

Of course, the chances of being targeted by a random hacker are slim. At the same time, your data can be a part of a huge leak with millions of users (these have happened before). In addition, if you are working in important positions and are a decision-maker in your company, you can be subjected to various direct scams.

Regular messengers are great for getting in touch, sharing a harmless laugh, or talking about the weather. But if you want to talk about your private life, or business, or express your true thoughts, they just don't offer enough protection for your messages. You need to look for an alternative that offers sufficient privacy.

When talking about private messaging, we also need to introduce the concept of end-to-end encryption. This type of encryption is a method of communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. Not even the service provider can read your messages, as opposed to what happens with most popular messenger apps, as we've already established.

This is done by encrypting messages using mathematical algorithms. Each individual message is usually encrypted using symmetrical keys that are only known by the sender and the recipient. In order for someone to decrypt and read the message, they would need to know that key. And trust us when we say that the most advanced cryptography has been made in such a way that even quantum computers can't even scrape the surface to crack these keys. They would still need thousands if not millions of years (Yes, Years!), to decrypt.

AES-256 is probably the most versatile and most capable encryption standard used today. The US government, Fortune 500 companies, leading financial institutions, and even some of the biggest tech companies in the world protect their data using this very standard.

Here's a simplified chart showing how it works.

One of the key elements of Kraden's zero-knowledge architecture is the same AES-256 encryption standard. We wrote an entire blog on it, so give it a read if you want to know more (click here).

When you add a layer of P2P (peer-to-peer) connections on top of a solid encryption, it's game over for anyone trying to snoop in on your conversations.

The best way to explain how P2P works is by using an analogy. Let's say you have a friend across the country that you want to talk to. You could theoretically just pick up the phone and call them on your regular messenger service or via your phone. But that sends your connection through an intermediary, 3rd party server. So, they will know who you're trying to connect with and could, in theory, tap into that communication. But what if you want to add an extra layer of protection? In that case, you would use a service like Kraden with P2P connectivity.

Kraden would then connect you with your friend, through a secure P2P connection. This means that there's no 3rd party server that's transmitting your conversation. The connection is made directly between you and your friend via simple, but clever solutions. So, even if someone were to try and get in on that conversation, they wouldn't be able to because there's no server to intercept the communication in the first place. They would have to take away your devices and that's much easier to protect against.

P2P connections are the very best when it comes to private messaging and calls because they are developed in a way that prevents anyone else from being able to exploit them. That's just not physically possible.

In conclusion, private messaging is a must if you want to keep your conversations truly private. It's your right yet far from all service providers are willing to give you that. You should take matters into your own hands and find dependable service providers. The best way to achieve that is by using a messenger service that offers both end-to-end encryption and P2P connectivity. Kraden is one of those services and we take pride in offering our users probably the most secure messaging experience in the world!