Setting up Encrypted Instant Messaging

Android - Installing Gibberbot

https://guardianproject.info/apps/gibber/

Gibberbot is a secure chat client capable of end-to-end encryption. It works with Google, Facebook, any Jabber or XMPP server. Gibberbot uses the Off-The-Record encryption standard (OTR) to enable true verifiable end-to-end encrypted communications.

You can install Gibberbot through the Google Play store or from another trusted source.

You can securely chat with other programs with OTR support such as Adium, Pidgin on the desktop, Gibberbot on Android or ChatSecure on iOS.

iOS - Installing ChatSecure

http://chrisballinger.info/apps/chatsecure/

ChatSecure is a secure chat client capable of end-to-end encryption. It works with Google, Facebook, any Jabber or XMPP server. ChatSecure uses the Off-the-Record encryption standard (OTR) to enable true verifiable end-to-end encrypted communications.

You can install ChatSecure through the iTunes store

You can securely chat with other programs with OTR support such as Adium, Pidgin on the desktop, Gibberbot on Android or ChatSecure on iOS.

Ubuntu - Installing Pidgin

http://pidgin.im/

Pidgin is a secure chat client capable of end-to-end encryption. It works with Google, Facebook, any Jabber or XMPP server. Pidgin uses the Off-the-Record encryption standard (OTR) to enable true verifiable end-to-end encrypted communications.

You can install via Ubuntu Software Center, search for pidgin-otr to install pidgin and the pidgin otr plugin.

Once installed you can enable otr for any account you setup in pidgin.

You can securely chat with other programs with OTR support such as Adium, Pidgin on the desktop, Gibberbot on Android or ChatSecure on iOS.

OS X - Installing Adium

http://www.adium.im/

Adium is a secure chat client capable of end-to-end encryption. It works with Google, Facebook, any Jabber or XMPP server. Adium uses the Off-the-Record encryption standard (OTR) to enable true verifiable end-to-end encrypted communications.

Installing Adium is similar to installing most Mac OS X applications.

  1. Download the Adium disk image from http://www.adium.im/.
  2. If an Adium window does not open automatically, double click the downloaded file
  3. Drag the Adium application to your Applications folder.
  4. “Eject” the Adium disk image, which has an icon of a drive
  5. The Adium disk image will still be present in your download folder (probably on your desktop). You can drag this file to the trash, as it is no longer needed.
  6. To load Adium, locate it in the Applications folder and double click.

You can securely chat with other programs with OTR support such as Adium, Pidgin on the desktop, Gibberbot on Android or ChatSecure on iOS.

Windows - Installing Pidgin

http://pidgin.im/

Pidgin is a secure chat client capable of end-to-end encryption. It works with Google, Facebook, any Jabber or XMPP server. Pidgin uses the Off-the-Record encryption standard (OTR) to enable true verifiable end-to-end encrypted communications.

To use Pidgin with OTR on Windows, you have to install Pidgin and the OTR plugin for Pidgin.

  1. Download the latest version of Pidgin for Windows from http://www.pidgin.im/download/windows/
  2. Run the Pidgin Installer
  3. Download the latest version of “OTR plugin for Pidgin” at http://www.cypherpunks.ca/otr/#downloads
  4. Run the OTR Plugin Installer

Now you can use OTR with any account you setup in Pidgin.

You can securely chat with other programs with OTR support such as Adium, Pidgin on the desktop, Gibberbot on Android or ChatSecure on iOS.

All OS - crypto.cat

https://crypto.cat

Cryptocat is an open source web application intended to allow secure, encrypted online chatting. Cryptocat encrypts chats on the client side, only trusting the server with data that is already encrypted. Cryptocat is delivered as a browser extension and offers plugins for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.

Cryptocat intends to provide means for impromptu, encrypted communications that offer more privacy than services such as Google Talk, while maintaining a higher level of accessibility than other high-level encryption platforms, and furthermore allows for multiple users in one chat room.

Chat Log Files

Some of the Chat Clients listed above e.g. Adium, store plaintext, unencrypted Chat Logs, often by default, even when the OTR “security / privacy” plug-in is installed.

If you are taking OTR precautions to protect your chats from snoopers over the wire or over the air, you should either double check that you have manually switched off Chat Session Logging, or ensure that the Chat Logs you deliberately intend to keep are created on an encrypted disk drive or volume, in case your computer is lost, stolen or seized. It is also worth asking the person you are chatting with if they are inadvertently logging the chat with their own Chat Client software.