In many different scenarios, we want to pass on the information to the right person but don’t want to let the audience know that it is you.
For Example, you want to report a scam in your organization to the Newspapers. But revealing that it is you can ruin your career and may threaten your life. Suppose, there is an article about a company’s scam in the newspaper and the company finds out that you send an encrypted email to someone. Even if they don’t know what information you shared, it is pretty easy for them to guess what was in that email.
Hence, when passing on Sensitive information, it becomes necessary to protect your identity at any cost. Meeting someone in person isn’t the most effective option either. So, what do you do? That’s where OTR comes into play.
What is Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR)?
Off-the-Record Messaging is a method of sending Anonymous messages that also works to keep your identity hidden and secure.
OTR messaging uses various techniques to Hide and keep the information hidden about your identity and the content. A user can install OTR Plugin in only a few supported Instant messaging applications to make them secure.
Off-the-Record Compatible Instant Messengers:
Windows/Linux – Pidgin Instant Messenger, PSI
macOS – Adium, PSI
Android and iOS – Chatsecure, WeeChat
How does Off-the-Record Messaging Work to Secure your Identity and Data?
Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR) uses various techniques to safeguard your identity when you send confidential information and also the data that you send.
OTR uses AES Encryption Standard and Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS)
To begin with, OTR uses AES Encryption Standard to Encrypt the Data that you send. Hence, the data can only be encrypted when it reaches the ultimate recipient with the help of a decryption key. To further secure the data, OTR also employs the Perfect Forward Secrecy protocol.
Note: Perfect Forward Secrecy protocol creates a new key for every information that is sent. Hence, it is impossible to encrypt all the data with just one key. Hence, in a scenario where the encryption is compromised, it can’t reveal anything sent prior and in the future.
To know more about Perfect Forward Secrecy, read The Perfect Forward Secrecy.
Off-the-Record (OTR) uses Secure Fingerprint for Deniable Authentication
Off-the-Record Messaging is especially secure because it helps secure your identity and allows you to send anonymous messages. A secure Fingerprint isn’t an actual fingerprint but a digital way to identify the person you are talking to or sharing your information with.
In the most extreme cases, where a hacker may compromise the conversation and read the content by decrypting the message. However, he/she wouldn’t even know who were the parties involved in the conversation. This provides a great relief to the people sharing information online and this is how OTR allows you to send anonymous messages.
Also Read: Maintain Online Privacy On Android With Private Browser Care
Off-the-Record (OTR) uses for Deniable Encryption
In Off-the-Record Messaging, it’s impossible to see who holds the key to an encrypted conversation. Also, it is possible to destroy the encryption after it is used, hence, Deniable Encryption.
Once the encryption key is destroyed, an attacker can’t crack down the code and the conversation that two people using OTR had.
Conclusion:
Off-the-Record Messaging is a decent way to exchange private messages. Off-the-Record Messaging employs various measures to promote anonymity and privacy.
Though nothing in the world is fully secure and OTR too can be vulnerable sometimes, it is the most secure way to transmit information from a person to another while keeping the identity secure.
Anonymity over the Web
Sometimes we don’t just want to protect our identity while sharing information, we also want to hide our identity and data in general while surfing the web and different websites. If this is what you would like, a VPN is the software to help you do that.
Now if you haven’t heard about VPNs before and also if you have but don’t know much about them, check out this article – All About VPNs.
Or if you already know about them enough and want to know about the best VPN that you can buy, we have a recommendation, NordVPN.
NordVPN:
NordVPN is one of the most advanced and well-known VPN Service Providers in the market. It comes equipped with awesome tools to help safeguard your Online Privacy and Data. Some of the most highlighted features of NordVPN are:
IP Address Masking: NordVPN hides and replaces the user IP address with a different one so that no one on the internet knows your real identity and location.
AES 256-Bit Encryption: NordVPN uses AES 256-Bit Encryption to encrypt the data that you send on the web to make it unreadable. Hence, even when a hacker is successful in breaching your network, he won’t get much.
Automatic Kill Switch: NordVPN uses an Automatic Kill Switch that automatically drops all the working internet connection when it detects a sudden VPN disconnection.
With all the features mentioned above and more, NordVPN is one of the best VPN service providers in the market.
So, this was all from our end on Off-the-Record Messaging/Anonymous Messaging and How to send Anonymous Message using OTR. I hope you found the information helpful. If you have any queries, do let us know in the comment section below. Keep Visiting Tweak Library for more such-tech-related content.
Next Reading:
Why You Can’t Judge A VPN By Its Server Count
Top 7 Uses of VPN – When to use a VPN
Fast and Best VPN Apps For iPhone
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