CyanogenMod defaults to encrypted text messaging

Thanks to Edward Snowden, encrypted messaging has been increasingly in demand. While there are already solutions out there like iMessage, the effectiveness of it is still debatable. There are also other independant solutions being developed, such as Hemlis.

Now CyanogenMod is going to give users a hand too. It has teamed up with Open Whisper Systems to integrate encryption directly into the firmware. What this means is that text messages between CyanogenMod users will be automatically encrypted. Your initial thought might be that since it requires both parties to be running CyanogenMod, there aren’t that many instances where this would work, but there are already 10 million known users of CyanogenMod, and after taking into account that users have an option to not be counted, that figure could rise by several million.

This update will be rolled out to version 10.2 of CyanogenMod first, then added to earlier versions. As of now, there are over 670,000 CyanogenMod users on 10.2.

CyanogenMod rolls out encrypted text messaging by default

Cyanogen teamed up with Open Whisper Systems, which makes open source apps for secure texting and phone calls, in order to integrate encryption seamlessly into a phone’s firmware. Install CyanogenMod, and your texts to other users of CyanogenMod and Open Whisper System’s TextSecure will automatically be encrypted. You can still use whatever SMS app you like.