The U.S. Senate is moving toward a more secure internal internet and more private messaging thanks to the approval of use of the Signal - Private Messenger app. As discovered by ZDNet, Senator Ron Wydon (D-OR) sent a letter to the Sargent at Arms, thanking him for approving the app for use by Senate staffers.
I have long argued that strong, backdoor-free encryption is an important cybersecurity technology... With the recent announcement by your office that end-to-end encryption messaging app Signal is approved for Senate Staff use, I am happy to see that you too recognize the important defensive cybersecurity role that encryption can play.
Signal is described as a messaging app that allows users to chat in real time with complete privacy. "The server never has access to any of your communication and never stores any of your data."
It is convenient for the broad culture of the Senate to be able to use such a strongly encrypted messaging system across multiple platforms. It's available on iOS and Android. You can also use your existing phone number and contacts, so you don't have to create a new log in or password.
Apple's iMessage chat app offers the same end-to-end encryption with no backdoor access, plus a lot of useful features, like app connectivity so you can reserve a table within a chat, but is only available on iOS. Too bad the Senate doesn't just have everyone to switch over to iPhone. Maybe they could get a lot more done!
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