Securing Communications By Skipping the Server

摘要

With the information world marching en masse to the cloud, one global firm is offering direct peer-to-peer encryption to reduce the threat of an intervening cyber intercept. This approach is applicable to dedicated hardware as well as to commercial off-the-shelf consumer communications equipment, and its operation is relatively transparent to the user. The system, known as Silent Circle and developed by the company of the same name, otters a range ot secure communications protocols. Mike Janke, CEO and co-founder of Silent Circle, describes this approach as a platform of software, services and devices-"Not unlike BlackBerry in 2005," he says. It offers apps in both Android and iOS that permit encrypted phone calls, conference calls, mobile video chats and texts that can send a file of up to 100 megabytes. The firm also offers a global encrypted calling plan to about 120 destinations-42 countries mobile and 79 landline.