How to Make a Chat App Secure : Read a Detailed Guide

Vigneshwar Published On April 18th, 2024 Tech Talks

Are you looking for some best secure messaging apps, and want to know more on its protection strategies to protect your data?

Then this is your guide. Well, here I have put in my research study to get you what you want – From chat privacy protocols to their factors and tools, you will get to know every aspect of encryption here.

So, with no more delay let’s get started!

What is Chat Security & Why it important?

Chat messaging apps, are the trending technology that has made connections and communications at everyone’s reach, making people think about web chat security, web payments security, live chat security, and encryption.

Well, encryption is the process where the text data is converted into a cipher (a non-readable content), which maintains and protects the chat privacy from any third party. 

Some of the benefits of these encrypted data includes:

• Full Protection on Personal Information : Encryption ensures a safe transmission of any personal or business related data over the internet.
• High Data integrity : Generally, it’s very difficult to hack any encrypted data. So, if someone tries to breach the data, the system will notify the issue instantly and avoid the theft in the first place.
• Data Protection Across Multiple Devices –  Whatever be the device, encryption ensures a complete protection over user’s data despite of devices.

 

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Examples of Chat Privacy Regulations

As correcting instant messaging security issues is the major priority in all terms, the government has put in many regulations and instant messaging protocols. Let’s have a look at some of them

General Data protection Regulation (GDPR)

GDPR refers to the set of rules that regulates the process of how the companies can collect, store, maintain, and share their customer’s personal data ensuring live chat security and secure chat issues. Here, the businesses can never neglect GDPR as they can ruin them in terms of sales and marketing activities. Moreover it says, Data retention is allowed for a specific period of time with the user’s concern.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

HIPAA privacy chat rules establish national standards for the protection of patient’s health information. It is necessary for the companies that prepare the software for healthcare organizations to follow the HIPAA compliances – to store, share , manage and record the patient’s PHI (protected health information). The next subtopic is how to SOC in chat apps

System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2)

SOC 2 is a compliance standard for service organizations, developed by American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) – This specifies the organizations as to how they should manage their customer’s data. Its standards are based on Trust Services Criteria – security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

International Organization for Standardization 270001 (ISO 270001)

ISO 270001 is an international standard that provides the requirements for an information security management system (ISMS). This permits all kinds of organizations to manage the chat data security including financial information, employee details, and intellectual property.

Recommended Reading: Conversational Banking In 2023: A Complete Guide

Now, let’s see what are the possible ways these chat privacy policies can impact the trust and adoption of any user.

Impact of Chat Privacy on User’s Trust and Adoption

When it comes to any type of organization, chat surveillance is the top priority for both cloud and SaaS adoption. Moreover, it has been found that privacy concerns affect an individual’s behavior with trust in both ways – direct and indirect.

A study with Ping Identity report, shows that for almost 43% of IT professionals security is the basic obstacle for cloud adoption, whereas 37% state SaaS adoption to be an obstacle. But, the reality is that both end up demanding the same “live chat security.”

Let’s have some further look with different apps in terms of security for more clarity.

Popular Messaging Apps with their Top Chat Safety Protocols

After a brief explanation about the impact of these security measures over some of the top apps, let’s study in detail with some other popular secure messaging apps.

1. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging apps that has over two billion active users. Some of the privacy chat measures used by WhatsApp includes

• End-to-End Encryption : WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption protocol in their application, where the recipient has the keys to decrypt the messages sent by the senders through their app.
• Verify Encryption – WhatsApp enables its users to confirm the calls and messages data to be fully encrypted via a verify security code screen.
• Two-Step Verification – This allows the users to protect their account with a PIN which needs to be verified by their phone number.
• Unstored Messages – As per WhatsApp policy regarding instant messaging security issues, it will not retain any user’s private messages. They will be stored in the app’s server too when they are being delivered from their sender to reach the recipient.

2. Signal

Signal is one of the most secure messaging apps that uses a privacy-preserving technology to remove the risk of leakage while sharing or sending messages to any non-intended recipients. It uses end-to-end encryption as an advanced level of security over their user’s data.

Moreover, its layer of security protocol permits their users to choose their desired time frame to disappear the data. If needed they can also set this timer for every conversation in the app.

3. Telegram

Telegram is one among the top live chat security solutions that are utilized to encrypt bulk of conversations. It provides the users with the option to perform self-destruction of messages, images, documents, and video after a certain period of time automatically.

However, sometimes it allows the users to turn on the secret chats and  forces the application to get deleted when the user is not in need of it.

4 . Pryvate

If there is an app that fosters on alleviating enterprise chat security risks, then it has to be Pryvate. This secure communication platform delivers security of military-grade encryption for all businesses and personal communication across iOS and Android devices. Further, it includes triple-layered security that is powered by 4096-bit encryption, with AES – 256 key management and DH key exchanges. 

Moreover, it offers an independent network that does not depend on servers for their security issues instead connects the sender and recipient directly.

5. Threema

Threema is the most trusted open-source messaging app that is fully encrypted across multiple devices. Its server design allows the messages to delete permanently once delivered to the recipient. Although the server manages all the information automatically on the user’s device, this information will still be protected against all types of hacking and thefts.

6. Apple iMessage

Apple iMessage is a secure native chat app. It allows users to chat with modern chat features such as instant messages, file sharing, read receipts, delivery receipts, group messaging, reactions, emojis, stickers, and more with an iCloud account.
iMessage is protected with end-to-end encryption, secure authentication, data protection, two-way factor authentication, phosong detection, and more. It allows users the privacy they need and protects their data.

7. Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is a popular messaging app for socializing created by Facebook. It is available on multiple platforms, such as iOS, Android, the web, and the desktop.
It allows users to communicate through chat, voice, and video. Moreover, it facilitates modern chat features like push notifications, file sharing, voice notes, one-to-one and group voice and video calls, GIFs, Emojis, online payments in selected regions, Presence indicators, and more.
By means of security, Messenger is protected with end-to-end encryption, two-way factor authentication, phishing detention, blocking and reporting, password security, and app permissions.

Moreover, it allows the users to check for the accuracy of the encryption, without a need for email or phone number to get sign-up for security issues.

Best Chat Security Features that Turns-on User Engagement

Chat surveillance is the major concern for any free chat solution provider as it will directly impact the commercial side of an app’s success. So, let’s have a look at some of the chat security features

1. End-to-end Encryption

End-to-end encryption aims at providing complete security over the chat messages by encrypting them so that no third party can interrupt the message in between. 

2. Data Masking

Data masking is a process where a fake version of the original organization data is created. The main aim is to protect the sensitive data using the functional alternative, when there is a need for some real one.

3. XSS Filter

XSS filter is the type of cross-site scripting attack that’s found in web applications. It generally permits the hackers to bypass the security mechanism by inserting the malicious scripts into the web pages that have been viewed by the users.

4. Disappearing of Messages

This security feature is an extension of any security as this allows the messages to get deleted automatically after sometime of its arrival at the recipient end. This extension works across both one-on-one as well as group chat.

5. Password Security

The password security is an essential part of data security which will dismiss all the possibilities of hacking. This system involves a variety of features that include HTTPS authentication, password encryption, CAPTCHA with account lockout, and password complexity standards.

6. Cookies & Session

 They are the one that stores the information in the browser memory and will be available for the duration of the browser session. 

7. Virus & Malware Scanner

The virus and malware scanner extension allows the developer to perform a deep scanning over the uploaded files of users to prevent the malware infection. This scanning process involves multiple tools and techniques to identify the issue.

Now, let see further what are the requirements that need to be noted before planning to build any chat security features.

Things to Consider Before Build These Chat Security Features for your Chat App

After learning a lot about chat safety features, if you have an interest in building your secure chat app, then it would be great to know that now you don’t have to start from scratch.

Nowadays, many real-time chat SDK & messaging API providers are there to support you with their chat security features to build your desired app.

But still if you want to have something build by yourself, then here are the five main things that you must consider before making a further plan

• Must be ready with some significant capital investment
• Check out for a perfect infrastructure
• Plan for resources budget that includes server cost, scaling, encryption, and more.
• Make a note of other associated costs like hosting, compliance, security, etc.
• Maintain full data ownership in your organization.
• Time duration to finish the project

Once done with this, let’s a ch eck what if you were opting to MirrorFly APIs and SDKs – what will be the scenario then.

How MirrorFly Secure User’s Data and Privacy 

Well, In the current market, MirrorFly is a leading and most-developer friendly in-app chat SDK provider that offers both SaaS and self-hosted chat solutions for web & mobile. Our free messaging API provides you 150+ enriched features to build a secure chat app. 

With security they follow the enterprise grade security protocols that includes TLS/SSL, AES-256, GDPR instant messaging, HIPAA, ISO 270001, SOC 2, and more. Its end-to-end encryption security comes with the highest encryption over all the conversations that can never be hacked before reaching the recipient. In addition to that, it also offers extensions to make the messages disappear,  and more.

Apart from security some of the key highlights includes

• High-end Scalability : For any real-time chat application scalability is one of the major criteria. It is all about user retention, here the APIs are capable of connecting with over 1 billion + users across the world with high quality connection and no downtime.
• Best Hosting Infrastructure – Storing data is also one among the major things to consider. Thus, developer-friendly MirrorFly APIs come with a variety of hosting options of both on your cloud or our cloud/premises infrastructure that you can utilize on your own business terms. Additionally, their chat APIs help cater various instant messaging security issues.
• Best in-house team of Skilled Developers – If you don’t have your team of skillful developers to work on your application – You need not have to worry. Yes! You can avail the best in-house resource with proficient developers, engineers and architects to plan, design and implement your application.
• Effortless Integration – To develop an application integration is the core process. Making the process easy, Our solution offers an easy-to-customize chat UI Kit with guided documentation to integrate your desired APIs into your existing mobile or web app.
• Secure Migration – If you want to migrate from your existing provider and are worried as to how it will be carried over. Then MirrorFly is here to guide you with personalized end-to-end support to migrate without any data loss and backup.
• Self-managed (One-time payment) and On-cloud (pay-as-you-go): Keeping track of customer’s needs – the solution is made available with a variety of pricing scenarios – self-managed chat (one-time license cost) and on-cloud chat (pay-as-you-go). Henceforth, you can choose the plan that suits your business needs.

Conclusion

Well, I hope the above article would have given you great insight concerning security and privacy measures when it comes to building a messaging app with enriched chat features.

So now, if you have a plan to build a secure chat within the app then you can consider this post as your guide to make further research on chat security features and more.

Or, you can simply opt for MirrorFly, to get hold of some of the best chat SDK Android encryption to level up your chat security. Have a look at the use cases and find out your solution.

Get started with your turn!

All the Best!

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