Years old technology sold to Germany heavily overpriced - BlackBerry z10s

I read the news that Germany decided to buy 5000 BlackBerry z10s for 2500 € apiece for encrypted mobile communication (http://bit.ly/1eWFGc1). They were told that this is a brand new technology, and was first seen at Cebit 2013. The technology - in nutshell - is that they use cryptochip integrated on microSD card for storing and using encryption keys during mobile communication. You can put this microSD criptochip into BlackBerry z10 (SecuSmart's solution for governmental use).

Well, we are far away from truth...

The technology is not new. It debuted at Cebit Hannover, but years ago. And not by SecuSmart... Secfone, a startup company launched in 2006, introduced the first implementation of microSD criptochip mobile encryption, and is selling its solution for companies and governments for years.

Secfone's solution is not tight to any smartphone brand (unlike SecuSmart's solution, that was sold to German government). It can be used with most of the new smartphones (smartphone whitelist).

German government bought the BlackBerry z10s for 2500 € apiece. However, you can get Secfone microSD cryptocard for 300 €. If you do not want to have your own managing servers, than for another 55 €/ month you can use Secfone's infrastructure. So it is really affordable for governmental institutes with smaller budget, to multinational companies, or even to smaller companies.

And the best at the end. Secfone provides higher security level based on a patent it uses (Patent No WO2005083972 A1).

Tadaaaa....

3 characteristics of any eavesdrop proof mobile communication solution

Eavesdropping and tapping is a hot topic right now. But how can a company choose a really eavesdrop proof solution?

You can read articles on daily basis on how politicians were tapped by several national agencies. You might think that there is no eavesdrop proof mobile communication solution on the market, because if there were, at least Angela Merkel would buy it. Let's take a close look.

There are 3 requirements of eavesdrop proof encrypted mobile solutions:

1. Purely software-based solutions are not secure

The reason is evident. Computer softwares are codes that reside and run on devices, like laptops, smartphones or tablets. These codes use the general storing and processing capabilities of devices, which are not designed to protect or secure any information. So if you find a software on Google Play or iTunes Store that claims it can protect you communications if you download it, it is simply not true.

Think of softwares that can be downloaded from torrent sites. Those softwares consist of codes. Codes, that construct a purely software based encryption solution too. Sounds safe?

If you have ever encountered a software that can not be copied, that software must have been included some kind of unique hardware protection (USB dongle for example). The unique hardware piece provides the security, because the hardware can not be copied.

2. Using standard encrpytion methods reduces security

If a solution claims that is uses standard encryption that means only one thing: It is a way easier to crack that solution than a solution that use non-standard encryption. Standardization is a big help for a cracker. The more characteristics regulated by the standard, the easier to crack the solution. Not mentioning that agencies specialized in cracking encryptions have hardware designed to crack standardized encryptions.

3. Certificates of agencies indicate backdoor

If you run into a solution that claims it is a certified solution of for example an Israeli agency, that means you can be sure that the agency in question has access to a backdoor in the solution. The reason is simple. There is not a single agency in a world that would encourage the use of a solution that can not be controlled - that is eavesdropped - by that agency. The picture is getting clear as you think it over...

Now comes the final question. Are there solutions on the market meeting these requirements? Of course yes, there are. But most of them are not available for public, only for agencies and governmental institutes.

UPDATE:

The only hardware based encrypted mobile communication solution that provides triple layer protection is Secfone.

Secfone Official Website

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