Stay Safe While Using KakaoTalk With This Security Hack

• Written by John Bennet Online Privacy Advocate

KakaoTalk is a free mobile instant messaging application for smartphones that boasts free texts and free call features. As of May 2017, the app hadd reached 220 million registered users and 47 million active monthly users.

It is owned by Kakao, a South Korean Internet company that was established in 2014. KakaoTalk is available in 15 languages and is available for iOS, Android, Bada OS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Nokia Asha, Windows, and macOS. At present, the app is used by 93% of smartphone owners in South Korea, making it, not surprisingly, the No. 1 app.

Basically, KakaoTalk sounds like everything you could want in a phone. The lingering question then is: Is it safe ? Editor’s Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. That said, our detailed reviews follow a strict methodology that examines all relevant performance factors to help you arrive at your own informed conclusion.

KakaoTalk Safety and Scrutiny

When South Korea tightened screws on real-time monitoring of instant messenger conversations in the past decade, KakaoTalk complied completely, losing some 1.5 million customers in the process who were irate that the government was allowed to search their phones.

KakaoTalk has the option of end-to-end encrypted chatting , but it is not the default setting . That means that millions of non-tech savvy Korean citizens are walking around broadcasting all of their instant messages, photos, and personal information on public WiFi networks and completely unencrypted . This is a hacker’s idea of paradise.

Additionally, the app shares a user’s location , meaning a hacker could theoretically rob the owner of his or her phone when seeing them for the first time in a long time, as well as read through their message, checkout their schedule of events, examine their group chats, and see they have called and who has called them.

Using a VPN for Security

But VPNs’ primary purpose has always been to encrypt data being sent from one’s computer to the Internet and back. This purpose can be reestablished by using a VPN as an extra layer of security when using KakaoTalk regardless of whether you are located in South Korea or any other country.

How does it work? When you have a VPN client running on your smartphone, you can connect to a remote server located in another jurisdiction . All of your Internet requests, including all usage of KakaoTalk will be encrypted at your end and sent through a secure tunnel to the remote server . Only from there will it be sent to KakaoTalk’s Internet platform.

This makes it impossible for any third party to see what you are sending or receiving from KakaoTalk . When someone sends you messages, mail, videos, or photos back, the data first passes to the remote server, where it is encrypted and sent on to your device for decryption and consumption.

Best VPNs to Use KakaoTalk

1. ExpressVPN — Perfect Forward Secrecy Protects KakaoTalk Chats

Key Features:

• 3,000+ servers in 105 countries with RAM-only infrastructure
• Perfect Forward Secrecy rotates keys for every session
• Works on up to 14 devices simultaneously
• 24/7 live chat, email, and comprehensive online knowledge base
• 30*-day money-back guarantee for first-time users

ExpressVPN uses Perfect Forward Secrecy, which changes your encryption key every session . Even if someone intercepted your data, they couldn’t unlock past or future KakaoTalk messages. Combined with AES-256 encryption and RAM-only servers, this ensures your calls and chats remain private.

You also get reliable speeds for KakaoTalk voice and video, with apps for every platform. Its proprietary Lightway protocol uses a lean codebase that makes data transfer between you and the server more efficient. It also works great on unstable networks so your Kakao calls are uninterrupted. ExpressVPN has a 30*-day refund policy so you can test it out first.

Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. That said, our detailed reviews follow a strict methodology that examines all relevant performance factors to help you arrive at your own informed conclusion.

2. CyberGhost — Smart Rules Provide Automatic WiFi Protection on Public Hotspots

Key Features:

• 11,690+ servers in 100 countries with WiFi Auto-Protect
• WireGuard/OpenVPN provide reliable KakaoTalk performance
• Works on up to 7 simultaneous connections
• 24/7 live chat and extensive troubleshooting guides
• 45-day money-back guarantee on long-term plans

CyberGhost’s Smart Rules let you automate your VPN connection[/vendorLink ] when you join a network or launch Kakao. You can set it to trigger on system startup, launching a specific app like Kakao, or when you join a known or unknown WiFi. It’s especially useful if you usually call on public networks that are full of snoopers and hackers.

A small downside of CyberGhost is that its monthly plans have a shorter refund window of just 14 days. However, its long-term plans aren’t just cheaper but also come with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee — this way, you can try it out risk-free.

Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as CyberGhost VPN. That said, our detailed reviews follow a strict methodology that examines all relevant performance factors to help you arrive at your own informed conclusion.

3. Private Internet Access — Lets You Use Kakao Safely on As Many Devices

Key Features:

• Massive network of 29,650+ servers in 91 countries
• Supports WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols with 10Gbps NextGen servers
• Use Kakao on unlimited devices simultaneously
• Fast customer support via live chat, email, and online guides
• 30-day money-back guarantee

PIA doesn’t cap how many devices you can use it on. So unlike other VPNs, you don’t need to set it up on your router just so that you don’t run out of connections. Also, PIA lets you customize encryption — you can switch between 256-bit and 128-bit ciphers depending on whether you want to lean on speed or security.

The only issue is PIA can sometimes be a bit slow on very distant servers . However, sending files and having video calls on KakaoTalk will still be smooth if you have fast internet. In those cases, you might feel it in high-bandwidth tasks like downloading large files and at times, streaming.

Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as Private Internet Access. That said, our detailed reviews follow a strict methodology that examines all relevant performance factors to help you arrive at your own informed conclusion.

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*Please note that ExpressVPN’s generous money-back guarantee applies to first-time customers only.