1 Introduction

In today’s digital world, instant messaging and social networking have become ubiquitous. The widespread use of these communication channels, especially in the workplace, has raised security concerns for individuals and organizations. Secure messaging refers to protecting and safeguarding communication infrastructure, such as emails, messaging apps, and instant messaging platforms, through various security mechanisms like end-to-end encryption (E2EE). E2EE uses encryption and decryption keys to ensure the privacy of messages and the authenticity of the sender and recipient. With the increasing number of mobile messaging users, the need for secure messaging systems is rising. Technological advancements, such as cloud-based and blockchain-based platforms, drive growth in the secure messaging market. However, risks like phishing and cyberattacks remain persistent and are projected to continue targeting messages in the future.

2 Analysis

2.1 Definition

A message is defined as any piece of information that a person communicates to another individual or group. On the other hand, a secure messaging system is a method of protecting and securing individuals’ and organizations’ communication infrastructure [1]. Among the communication channels are emails, messaging apps, and social networking platforms for instant messaging (e.g., WhatsApp). Access to these channels is possible from various systems, such as mobile phones and computer messaging applications. In addition to preventing cyberattacks, appropriate security mechanisms can also enhance confidentiality (i.e., only intended recipients can view messages) and authenticity (i.e., verifying the identity of senders and recipients) [2].

E2EE (end-to-end encryption) can be used to secure messages while transferring them from one system or device to another. E2EE is intended to secure communication in a way that prevents third parties from accessing information. A message in E2EE is encrypted on the system or device of the sender, and only the intended recipient is permitted to decrypt it. The encryption and decryption keys are stored on each endpoint of the communication system. To facilitate key management (see Chap. 4), most systems make use of Public Key Cryptography (see Chap. 3).

2.2 Trends

It is anticipated that the number of mobile messaging users will increase from 2.9 billion users in 2020 to 3.5 billion in 2025 [3]. The increasing need for organizations to secure their messaging infrastructure is a key driver for growth, especially as businesses increasingly use mobile messaging applications to communicate. A list of key trends in the coming years is presented in Table 37.1.

Table 37.1 Key trends of secure messaging
Full size table

3 Consequences for Switzerland

Threema is a Swiss solution used by more than 7’000 corporate customers, including the Swiss government. This solution provides some significant advantages like zero-knowledge security, on-premise servers, and metadata restrains [12]. However, vulnerabilities were discovered in the messenger application by the Applied Cryptography Group at the ETH Zurich [13]. They were fixed after 3 months, the time, Threema asked the researchers to hold the information.

It is common for Switzerland to conduct research on topics related to security and privacy, which lay the foundation for secure messaging, for example the Zurich Information Security & Privacy Center at ETH Zurich [14], Identity and Access Management (IAM) at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) [15], or Center for Intelligent Systems (CIS) at EPFL [16]. The IBM Research Zurich team conducts commercial research on system security and cryptography [17].

3.1 Implementation possibilities: Make or Buy

In response to increased public attention, more and more solutions for secure messaging have emerged. However, many of these solutions do not provide strong and well-defined security features [7]. Many of the secure messaging solutions have no answer to the problem of protecting the metadata [7].

Secure messaging solutions should be purchased with a strong analysis based on the needs of each organization as end-to-end encrypted messages sent on unique channels could be easily attacked by spam, flooding, and denial-of-service [7].

4 Conclusion

The demand for secure messaging solutions is growing, and the solutions are becoming more convenient and secure. However, if solutions exist, choosing them and implementing them in a efficient way remains a big challenge.