'Snowden Phone' Offers Advanced Call, Text and Web Encryption

[bemildred]

Known as the Snowden Phone, a US company has created what it claims to be a smartphone designed specifically to protect the user's privacy and prevent call monitoring.

Developed by US-based FreedomPop in response to growing concern over government surveillance in the wake of NSA documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the Snowden Phone has software that encrypts calls and text messages over FreedomPop's VoIP (voice over IP) network.

All applications, as well as the phone's internet browser, are encrypted using a 128-bit virtual privacy network (VPN), which is the same encryption used to protect credit card transactions.

The phone's encryption enables anonymous web browsing, prevents online marketers from tracking your web activity, defends against data monitoring and eavesdropping by third parties, and "bypasses any website restriction" letting the device connect "to any site online" its makers claim.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/snowden-phone-offers-advanced-call-text-web-encryption-1439105

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1. Twitter backs Encrypt All The Things campaign to beat government spies

Twitter has joined a raft of internet companies promoting the importance of encryption tools in the light of government spying revealed last year.

The firm has given its backing to a campaign launched by digital rights group Access Now called Encrypt All The Things. Other firms such as DuckDuckGo and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have also lent their names to the initiative.

The aim is to raise the importance of implementing strong security measures to stop any attempts to monitor or siphon data.

Access Now said: “In the wake of the continued disclosures regarding government mass surveillance, the majority of the reform conversation has revolved around the need for increased transparency.

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2332555/twitter-backs-encrypt-all-the-things-campaign-to-beat-government-spies

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2. Our 10 most important security takeaways from the RSA Conference

http://www.itproportal.com/2014/03/06/our-10-most-important-security-takeaways-from-the-rsa-conference/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+itproportal%2Frss+%28Latest+ITProPortal+News%29

[1awake]

3. The features of this phone should be standard on all phones/tablets/pc's. nt

[bemildred]

4. They will be.

There is going to be an "arms race" over this now. If fact there has been for a couple decades now, but this will heat it up.

[onehandle]

5. Does it issue you a plane ticket to China or Russia? nt

[bemildred]

6. I would imagine you could easily do that if you wanted to. nt

[Jefferson23]

7. This technology is not an area of expertise for me..what do you think? I imagine it will

be tested etc, but impregnable from the NSA? That would be awesome.

Funny how the NSA ended up advancing competition..you have to laugh at that one.

[bemildred]

10. 128 bits is not high level encryption, but it seems a good compromise for fending off voyeurs. nt

[snooper2]

11. The only way a phone call can be 100% secure is if you place it via your own PBX

site-to-site via a private MPLS VPN or leased tie trunks-

Or, you do encryption like TLS end to end which means every carrier would have to accept encrypted calls from another carrier (not going to happen). Enabling TLS is very CPU intensive so we charge a premium of a customer wants to use it, but it's only encrypted from the edge of the switching infrastructure (SBC) to customer premise.

Encrypting a call end to end over the PSTN is impossible today. Shit, we can't even do any codecs but G.711 today with VoIP peering, (that will be changing soon though as HD gets more prevalent (G.722))



Also, CALEA already provides for language that if a carrier is providing encryption services they must provide the unencrypted media stream to comply with any warrants. So it's all kind of a mute point anyway.

I'm sure these guys will get some sales with clever marketing though Is the snowy phone waterproof?

[Jefferson23]

14. Thank you for your input...I had to look up some of those terms..went right over my head..lol.

[bemildred]

12. "Funny how the NSA ended up advancing competition..you have to laugh at that one."

I do. I laugh about that sort of thing a lot, it's so common.

The Drug War, I rest my case.

US foreign policy.

As with disease and antibiotics, trying to stomp things out just makes them stronger, if you fail; so it is IMPERATIVE to use restraint, and to have some sense of how being too controlling makes it worse.

[Jefferson23]

13. We do see it, yes...control freaks are scary..and there is a significant difference...I would say

facilitate..guide, aid, support, are a different measure and the wiser route to go. At least then you have the
advantage of learning something along the way..like you might be wrong and can change course before
its too late.

[bemildred]

15. Control freaks are dumb.

The main challenge is to stay out of the way while they destroy themselves, it can take a while, and they make a big mess, and they don't listen.

[snooper2]

8. Sure LOL, except they use Sprint's 4G network and Clearwire for wholesale services

[bemildred]

9. Encrypted is encrypted, until it is unencrypted.

WiFi is a problem because it's broadcast radio, so anybody can tune in.

[bemildred]

16. New FreedomPop Phone Promises to Preserve Your Privacy

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/freedompop-security-anonymous-privacy-phone-snowden,news-47364.html

Another one.