In this past Saturday’s blog (Email – More Important Than You Think), we talked about how most people treat the security of their email too lightly. (Please read the blog if you haven’t already.)

One of our readers mentioned how her clients are often sending personal and financial information via Facebook Messenger or Chat. Not unlike email, what we don’t know about security might hurt us. So, let’s look at a some information.

First, what is encryption? Wikipedia has a great definition: “In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding a message or information in such a way that only authorized parties can access it and those who are not authorized cannot. Encryption does not itself prevent interference, but denies the intelligible content to a would-be interceptor.”

Next, is Facebook Messenger encrypted? The answer to this question is the “Microsoft Answer” – it depends. If you choose to send a “secret” message, your chat will be encrypted. No one will be able to read it except those actually in the chat conversation. Unfortunately, many people do not know about this feature. Here’s how to use it: 1) Open Facebook Messenger; 2) Click on the Compose icon (looks like a pencil and pad); 3) In the upper right-hand corner, click on the word “Secret;” 4) Choose your recipient; 5) Start your text message. This conversation will be encrypted end-to-end.

Another good method: Instead of fooling around with Facebook Messenger, I’d use WhatsApp. WhatsApp is another Facebook-owned company but conversations within the app are encrypted end-to-end by default. There’s no chance you’ll forget to hit a button and send something in the open. Chats, pictures, even phone calls made through WhatsApp to another WhatsApp user are totally encrypted. WhatsApp also has a web interface so you can use it from your computer – not just smartphone and tablet.