The world will never be the same again after the entry into the arena of Edward Joseph Snowden. If earlier we simply suspected that our every action on the Internet could be overheard, spied on and recorded by Big Brother, then after his revelations we are one hundred percent sure of this. But Snowden is not going to stop and continues to open the covers. We recently wrote about his recommendations for choosing file storage, and here. Among other things, in this interview, Snowden once again claims vulnerability existing systems connections and encourages the use Silent Circle.
Silent Circle is the name of a company that specializes in developing and distributing secure communications solutions, including phone calls and text messaging. The origins of this company are such famous names as Mike Janke, a security specialist who worked for the US Army, Phil Zimmerman, a legendary cryptographer and one of the creators of the PGP protocol, and John Callas, a creator of a disk encryption system for Apple. As you can see, the authority of the creators of Silent Circle deserves full trust.
They have built their information exchange network and it is wholly owned by the company. Silent Circle's servers are located in Canada and Switzerland, as these countries have strict privacy practices. All subscriber data is fully encrypted, and no one can access it, since encryption keys are only on user devices.
Silent Circle services can be used in two ways. The first is to buy a Blackphone smartphone specially designed by the company for the purpose of maximum protection data. It comes with a suite of apps that allow you to exchange encrypted calls, messages, and contacts. In addition, you have access to your own cloud service for secure data storage. All user information on the memory card is also encrypted.
The second way is to install on your smartphone under Android control or iOS of several Silent Circle apps. For safe telephone communication Silent Phone is used, Silent Text is required for messaging, and Silent Contacts (Android only) is responsible for keeping your address book private.
As mentioned above, data exchange uses the company's own network, so you can only communicate with people who have already registered on the network and installed the appropriate applications. Although the apps themselves are free, you can only use them after you subscribe to one of the paid plans. The cheapest option is 100 prepaid minutes for $12.95 per month.
The price is not so small, but if you value your secrets, then this amount is quite worth donating. Especially in the light of the ever-increasing intrusion of the state and special services into all aspects of our private life, about which we once again have Edward Snowden, with whom we began this article.
Popular whatsapp messenger repeatedly convicted of illegal data collection, not to mention the fact that the security of the messenger. Skype has been cooperating with intelligence agencies for a long time, and from time to time critical security vulnerabilities are discovered in the Microsoft-owned service. Not so long ago it turned out that Apple is able to read encrypted correspondence in iMessage. This review proposes to consider what private messengers the iOS platform offers on this moment.
Telegram
Ping
is a free messenger for iOS from Russian developers who have focused on maximum privacy. The program allows you to chat in Snap Mode - it does not save the message history. Also implemented is the ability to delete the entire history of correspondence not only on your device, but also for all recipients.
Unlike WhatsApp, Ping does not let other users know the phone number. It is only used the first time the application is launched to create an ID that can be used to search for other users. All data is transmitted over an encrypted connection.
Ping also has its own special “trick”. The application allows you to make the interlocutor pay attention to you with the help of sound signal. This function is called Ping.
The program is in Russian, but after the first opening in the application, you can notice a funny error. The user is prompted to swipe the screen to the left to read the help, when in fact they need to scroll to the right.
The application has a simple and clear design, made on gray background. The software can be downloaded for free from App Store, the version for Android is promised to be launched in the near future.
Hello to all readers Droider! The work week has begun, which means that it's time to release the weekly digest of applications for the operating room. Android systems, in which we will talk about unusual messengers.
Early last year, a former CIA officer handed over a large amount of secret documents, in which it was about spying on users of the World Wide Web.
Despite the fact that more than six months have passed since the publication of the documents, passions around such an event still do not subside. A little over a week ago, Edward Snowden took part remotely in an American conference SXSW Interactive. During the speech, a former CIA officer spoke about the importance of encryption to protect the information of ordinary citizens.
Of course, it is not advisable to encrypt all data, but it will not be superfluous to ensure that ordinary correspondence does not fall into the hands of third parties. Last year, developers were actively working on creating secure messengers, and in this review we will talk about some of them.
So, in this edition you will find: Telegram.BBM and.
Last year, Pavel Durov, founder of the popular social network VKontakte, introduced a secure messenger called , aimed at a Western audience. Main Feature of this application was the protocol for encrypting MTProto correspondence, developed by Pavel's brother - Nikolai.
The application was originally created to test MTProto under load, but is now available on almost all popular mobile and desktop platforms. As of February 2014, Telegram is used by about 15 million people. Of course, against the background of the same WhatsApp, the figure is very small. But keep in mind that the iOS version was introduced in mid-April last year.
If speak about functionality service, it allows users to exchange text messages, send large multimedia files and create chats in which up to 100 people can simultaneously participate.
As the developers note, the messenger uses several encryption technologies, and all messages are encrypted not on the server side, but directly on the sender's device. In theory, this provides the maximum high level protection.
By the way, last year the Durov brothers announced a competition to crack the Telegram protection, which ended on March 1, 2014. The prize fund was 200 thousand dollars. The authors of Telegram plan to continue to hold such events in the future.
Wickr
messenger called Wickr somewhat different from Telegram. This service is based on the idea quick removal messages. By and large, such a mechanism is not new. There is something similar, for example, in Snapchat.
As the authors of the service note, with the help of Wickr, owners mobile devices working under iOS control and Android will be able to exchange text messages, transfer audio, video or pictures, and send PDF documents. All messages do not contain any additional data (such as location tags) and are not stored on servers. In addition, they are encrypted using the AES256, ECDH521, RSA4096TLD algorithms.
As mentioned above, messages are automatically deleted after a certain time period. Users can independently determine after how many seconds, minutes or hours the sent information will be deleted from the recipient's machine.
It can also be noted that the application itself provides protection against taking screenshots, and most actions require re-entering the password. It seems that in this way, the developers want to protect information from third parties who can take a mobile device.
BBM
Last fall, the Canadian company BlackBerry ported its native messenger to other platforms, in particular to iOS and Android. Despite some problems that arose at launch, the application still appeared in the App Store and Google Play where it is quite popular.
According to the developers, unlike most popular instant messengers, in BBM messages are encrypted, so users do not have to worry that the transmitted information will get to third parties.
As for the functionality of the messenger from BlackBerry, then everything is quite standard. The application allows you to exchange messages, images and files. Users can also create chats and send lists of scheduled events to interlocutors.
At the beginning of this year, the new head of the Canadian company noted that BlackBerry plans to further develop the messenger. Very soon, a special service may appear in BBM, which will feature a more advanced data protection system.
Silent Phone and Silent Text
Applications called and were developed by specialists from Silent Circle. It is noteworthy that it was she, together with the manufacturer Geeksphone, who presented at the February exhibition MWC 2014 unusual smartphone entitled .
For $630, future users of the secure device will receive a two-year subscription to basic services from Silent Circle, and will also be able to use a special Android version called PrivatOS.
And available on Google Play for free. However, you will need to subscribe to use these services. If we talk about the functionality of applications, then in a pair they allow you to make voice and video calls, as well as receive and send text messages or share files.
As the developers say, in their service, data is transmitted directly from client to client according to the peer-tp-peer principle, while they are encrypted. Therefore, the probability of interception and decryption is extremely small.
After Edward Snowden revealed to the world the real capabilities of American intelligence agencies in "Internet wiretapping", the golden time has come for applications that promise secure communications. It turned out that there are not many of them, which caused a real boom in startups. True, most of them are still in development. In this review, we will look at what private messengers the iOS platform offers us at the moment.
Telegram
Perhaps the loudest Russian startup in recent times. The new messenger from Pavel Durov offers users the possibility of private correspondence. The encrypted protocol MTProto, on the basis of which the program works, was written by Pavel's older brother - Nikolai Durov.
The messenger does not require registration, the account is linked to a phone number. This is one of the most convenient and beautiful encrypted messengers at the moment. Not so long ago, the program was even slightly adapted for iOS 7. By "slightly" we mean changing the icon to a simpler one. Otherwise, the design of the program is still "six", reminiscent of the design latest version client "Vkontakte", the keyboard also remained the same.
The messenger supports the function of secret chats in which logs are not saved. It is also possible to attach a self-destruct timer to messages. In the settings, you can find an item that allows you to log out of all sessions on other devices.
To synchronize multiple devices, the sent data is stored in an encrypted cloud. The developers note that the decentralized server structure allows the application to run much faster than WhatsApp and most other instant messengers.
In general, the impressions of the messenger are quite positive. It works smoothly, without the slightest lag even on older devices. Messages really pass with the slightest delay. It is possible to put various dialogs on the background beautiful pictures that pleases the eye. You can change the text size in the settings. Implemented the possibility of group chats. The app is simple, functional, and feels subjectively cozy.
The developers swear that all transmitted data will never fall into the hands of third parties. They also state that the program will always remain free and there will be no ads in it.
Silent Phone and Silent Text
Silent Circle offers military-grade encryption for communications. If the theoretical possibility of intercepting data remains in Telegram, if it is possible to decrypt the code and gain access to the "cloud", then the data of this application is much more protected.
All data is transmitted directly from client to client according to the peer-tp-peer principle, while they are encrypted. The developers claim that they did not leave any loopholes for anyone.
With Silent Phone, users can make voice and video calls to each other in a completely secure channel. It is possible to call regular phones, however, in this case, the call may be intercepted by the recipient.
With Silent Text you can send messages and send files. The number of video calls, text messages and files is not limited in any way.
Apps available on mobile platforms and on computers. Silent Text and Silent Phone can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but you will need to purchase a subscription to use the application, which will cost $10 per month or $90 per year.
S.J. Messenger
Another Russian development to ensure privacy. The name of the application stands for Safe Jabber. Accordingly, the application transmits data via the XMPP protocol, OSCAR support is also implemented (the same as in ICQ). At the same time, the application encrypts all transmitted information according to the OpenPGP, SraeTTLS and SSL standards.
The application supports the creation mass mailings, you can save encrypted chat history. Implemented the ability to send files that can only be accessed with a special password.
The application does not require registration, you can log in with your Facebook, Twitter or Vkontakte account. Integration with Google Talk is also implemented. The design of the program can hardly be called beautiful, it is somewhat outdated. Nevertheless, it is quite convenient to communicate with its help.
Apart from iOS program available for Windows and Mac, but there is no version for Android. There is no subscription system, but the program is far from cheap - 1690 rubles. The app can be downloaded from the App Store.
Ping
Ping is a free iOS messenger from Russian developers with a focus on maximum privacy. The program allows you to chat in Snap Mode - it does not save the message history. Also implemented is the ability to delete the entire history of correspondence not only on your device, but also for all recipients.
Unlike WhatsApp, Ping does not let other users know the phone number. It is only used the first time the application is launched to create an ID that can be used to search for other users. All data is transmitted over an encrypted connection.
Ping also has its own special feature. The application allows you to make the interlocutor pay attention to you with the help of a sound signal. This function is called Ping.
The program is in Russian, but after the first opening in the application, you can notice a funny error. The user is prompted to swipe the screen to the left to read the help, when in fact they need to scroll to the right.
The application has a simple and clear design, made on a gray background. The program can be downloaded for free in the App Store, the Android version is promised to be launched in the near future.