The EFF has published its Secure Messaging Scorecard that rates several messaging applications on several important security axes. Some have all the desired attributes, others have none. Some, like Apple’s iMessage have most of the attributes but fail to be open source or have the ability to verify a contact’s identity.
The EFF says this is just an overview and that they are working on additional, deeper analyses of the usability and security of the tools that scored best in this initial phase. As the EFF says, this scorecard is not an endorsement or guarantee, just an indication of which of the applications are on the right track.
I’m looking forward to the future reports. I consider iMessage reasonably secure for day-to-day use but if I had something I really needed to be sure was secure, it would be nice to have some help choosing the best tool.
If you have any interest in secure messaging, you should take a look at the score card. And, of course, though I haven’t said so for a while, you should help support the EFF. They are working to protect us all.