…how to make your Telegram secure
While Facebook has been on overdrive trying to calm frayed nerves over the mass exodus from its messaging app WhatsApp to over competing apps, one major competitor that has gained from that exodus is Telegram. The rise in demand for other messaging apps is attributed to Facebook’s recent move to update WhatsApp’s terms of service and privacy policy – leaving many WhatsApp users concerned and searching for a more secure messaging platform, like Telegram.
Telegram which has been in existence since 2013 which also provides end-to-end encrypted video calling, VoIP, file sharing and several other features has been overshadowed by the popularity of WhatsApp for years until now. Though Telegram provides end-to-end encrypted calls and optional end-to-end encrypted “secret” chats between two online users on smartphone clients, its cloud chats use client-server/server-client encryption and it was the 8th most downloaded app worldwide in 2020.
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However, due to the mass exodus that hit WhatsApp, 25 million people downloaded Telegram last week alone with 38% of them from Asia, 27% from Europe, 21% from Latin America, and 8% from MENA,” says Telegram Founder, Pavel Durov.
“People no longer want to exchange their privacy for free services. They no longer want to be held hostage by tech monopolies that seem to think they can get away with anything as long as their apps have a critical mass of users.”
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For those who migrated to Telegrams, here are tips to make sure Telegram is as secure as possible:
Pick a username and use it instead of your actual name or associated phone number when chatting with others.
Enable 2FA for your account. If someone tries to take control over your account, hijacking a voice call or a text message with a temporary verification code won’t be enough. The attacker will still have to deal with your password. If it’s strong and unique, the account takeover will become a significant problem. This feature is available in “Settings” – “Privacy and Security” – “Two-step Verification.”
When chatting with others, consider using the “Secret Chats” feature. It means your account and chats will have better encryption, where each message is encrypted with two keys available only for you and your recipient.
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Use a VPN connection when chatting or calling others. It is essential to bring an extra layer of security on your side.
Regularly review the “Active Sessions” option available in “Settings” – “Privacy and Security”. It helps to find out if your Telegram account is enabled on any other device besides yours. If you find anything unknown or suspicious, terminate those sessions and change your “Two-step verification” password.
To maximise your privacy integrity, when signing up on Telegram, use a virtual number instead of your real mobile number. Make sure it is not a disposable virtual number; otherwise, someone can still hijack your account. Your virtual number is the one you own and is not connected to your mobile carrier.
Make sure your information is private to the point comfortable to you. There are several settings that you can play up or down in terms of exposure to the world around by accessing “Settings” and then “Privacy and Security”.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry