Takeaways for Week 15

1.    Ephemeral messaging apps are becoming increasingly available and easy to use.  The contents of messages sent on these apps are encrypted and vanish from all devices/servers after a certain amount of time.  Many of them also have features that make it more difficult to screenshot the contents of the message.  Confide, for example, is an app that requires the user to decode a message one line at a time by dragging their finger down the screen.

2.  Ephemeral messaging ensures much safer and more secure messaging than other electronic forms of messaging.  This can be helpful for companies conveying private information or individuals involved in a very personal conversation. 

3.  On the down side, ephemeral messaging may enable illegal or inappropriate exchanges, such as child pornography, cyberbullying, or drug transactions.

4.   Users should investigate a few questions before using ephemeral messaging.  These questions might include:

-       Where will the message be stored, and for how long?

-       How easy is it to screenshot or copy the message?

-       How secure is the encryption?

           5.  There are three basic levels of privacy protection we can implement: strong          (normal person level), stronger (geek level), and super strong (tin foil hat-wearer level).  Some of the simplest but most effective suggestions include using password hygiene, using good judgment on what information and pictures we share on social media, and limiting geolocation.