Open-source apps must maintain a level of accountability when it comes to security. They are known for their active community of developers and users who help discover vulnerabilities and peer review code, and perform routine audits on a mass scale. Security holes are patched at a rate that discourages programmers from placing back door malicious codes. Though not every open-source app is secure, the ones that are benefit from the community in a way that many closed-source programs and applications can rarely duplicate.

Many of the listed apps here have been widely distributed and scrutinized to the point of being trusted sources by the online community and recommended by attendees of the recent RSA conference.

Gpg4Win is a Windows build of GNU Privacy Guard (GPG). GPG is a command line tool that allows you to sign your data and communication with encryption. It features key and signature expiration settings, as well as a filter program and wide compatibility with a variety of applications.

Though primarily known for voice communication during gaming, Mumble's main advantage over many other clients is that it encrypts your communication by default, using public/private-key authentication.

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