"Blackphone" said to be "a super-secure nsa-proof"

Jim Bell jamesdbell8 at yahoo.com
Fri Jan 17 01:25:50 PST 2014



http://www.yahoo.com/tech/startup-launching-a-super-secure-nsa-proof-73511096050.html


Fears over NSA spying have prompted people around the world to think 
about security differently, whether it be petitioning for companies to 
better secure their data or changing the information they share online. 
In particular, security around smartphones has been of great concern, as people increasingly surf the Web, make calls and send messages from 
their mobile devices.
An international group of privacy enthusiasts has come together to 
create Blackphone, a smartphone that claims it will help to better 
protect your information.
Mashable writes that Blackphone is the brainchild of Silent Circle and Geekosphere, 
with participation from big players in the fight for information privacy and computer security. Phil Zimmermann, creator of data encryption 
protocol PGP (Pretty Good Privacy), is one of the minds behind the 
device.
“Blackphone provides users with everything they need to ensure 
privacy and control of their communications, along with all the other 
high-end smartphone features they have come to expect,” Zimmerman said, 
according to Mashable.
[ Right Click: Kiwi lifestyle tracker to free people from their smartphones ]
The operating system is a custom build of Android OS called PrivatOS, designed for improved security. Silent Circle’s CEO Mike Janke says the project will be open source, as will the PrivatOS operating system. The phone likely won’t have the most outstanding specs, but the team says 
that’s because privacy is the top concern.
No specific details have been given about the phone yet (although 
some of the code has been posted to GitHub). The companies say they’ll 
be unveiling it properly at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona beginning Feb. 24.
Even with very little information about the device currently 
available, some media outlets are suggesting that the phone could be 
“NSA-proof.” That’s a tall order, especially in light of a story from The New York Times claiming that the NSA has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers to create backdoor radio access.
For more information on Blackphone, visit its website at https://www.blackphone.ch.
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