Silent Circle (software)

Last updated
Silent Circle
Company type Private
IndustrySoftware
FoundedOctober 2011 (2011-10)
Headquarters
Washington DC, United States
Key people
Gregg Smith - CEO
Website www.silentcircle.com

Silent Circle is an encrypted communications firm based in Washington DC. [1] Silent Circle provides multi-platform secure communication services for mobile devices and desktop. Launched October 16, 2012, the company operates under a subscription business model. [2] The encryption part of the software used is free software/open source and peer-reviewed. [2] For the remaining parts of Silent Phone and Silent Text, the source code is available on GitHub, but under proprietary software licenses. [3]

Contents

History

In November 2011, Mike Janke called Phil Zimmermann with an idea for a new kind of private, secure version of Skype. Zimmermann agreed to the project and called Jon Callas, co-founder of PGP Corporation and Vincent Moscaritolo. Janke brought in security expert Vic Hyder, and the founding team was established. [4] [5] The company was founded in the Caribbean island of Nevis, but moved its headquarters to Le Grand-Saconnex [6] near Geneva, Switzerland in 2014 in search of a country with "stronger privacy laws to protect its customers' information." [7]

On August 9, 2013, through their website, Silent Circle announced that the Silent Mail service would be shut down, because the company could "see the writing on the wall" and felt it was not possible to sufficiently secure email data with the looming threat of government compulsion and precedent set by the Lavabit shutdown the day before. [8]

In January 2015, Silent Text had a serious vulnerability that allowed an attacker to remotely take control of a Blackphone device. [9] A potential attacker only needed to know the target’s Silent Circle ID number or phone number. [9] Blackphone and Silent Circle patched the vulnerability shortly after it had been disclosed. [10]

In March 2015 there was a controversy when Information Security specialist and hacker Khalil Sehnaoui identified that Silent Circle's warrant canary had been removed from their site. [11]

In January 2017 Gregg Smith was named CEO with a renewed focus on serving the large business space as well as Government entities. At the same time Tony Cole, VP and Global Government CTO of FireEye, was named to the Board of Directors. [12] Shortly after Smith became CEO, the company moved back from Switzerland to the United States. [13]

Reception

In November 2014, Silent Phone and Silent Text received top scores on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard, along with "ChatSecure + Orbot", Cryptocat, TextSecure, and "Signal / RedPhone". They received points for having communications encrypted in transit, having communications encrypted with keys the providers don't have access to (end-to-end encryption), making it possible for users to independently verify their correspondent's identities, having past communications secure if the keys are stolen (forward secrecy), having their code open to independent review (open source), having their security designs well-documented, and having recent independent security audits. [14]

However, as of August 2020, the page for the secure messaging scorecard states that it is out of date and should not be used in privacy- and security-related decision-making.

Products

The company's products [15] enable encrypted mobile phone calls, text messaging, and video chat.

Current

Its current products include the following:

Discontinued

Its discontinued products include the following:

Business model

The company is privately funded [5] and operates under a subscription business model. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is an encryption program that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication for data communication. PGP is used for signing, encrypting, and decrypting texts, e-mails, files, directories, and whole disk partitions and to increase the security of e-mail communications. Phil Zimmermann developed PGP in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Zimmermann</span> Creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)

Philip R. Zimmermann is an American computer scientist and cryptographer. He is the creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), the most widely used email encryption software in the world. He is also known for his work in VoIP encryption protocols, notably ZRTP and Zfone. Zimmermann is co-founder and Chief Scientist of the global encrypted communications firm Silent Circle.

Hushmail is an encrypted proprietary web-based email service offering PGP-encrypted e-mail and vanity domain service. Hushmail uses OpenPGP standards. If public encryption keys are available to both recipient and sender, Hushmail can convey authenticated, encrypted messages in both directions. For recipients for whom no public key is available, Hushmail will allow a message to be encrypted by a password and stored for pickup by the recipient, or the message can be sent in cleartext. In July, 2016, the company launched an iOS app that offers end-to-end encryption and full integration with the webmail settings. The company is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

S/MIME is a standard for public-key encryption and signing of MIME data. S/MIME is on an IETF standards track and defined in a number of documents, most importantly RFC 8551. It was originally developed by RSA Data Security, and the original specification used the IETF MIME specification with the de facto industry standard PKCS #7 secure message format. Change control to S/MIME has since been vested in the IETF, and the specification is now layered on Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS), an IETF specification that is identical in most respects with PKCS #7. S/MIME functionality is built into the majority of modern email software and interoperates between them. Since it is built on CMS, MIME can also hold an advanced digital signature.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a private communication system in which only communicating users can participate. As such, no one, including the communication system provider, telecom providers, Internet providers or malicious actors, can access the cryptographic keys needed to converse.

Secure messaging is a server-based approach to protect sensitive data when sent beyond the corporate borders, and it provides compliance with industry regulations such as HIPAA, GLBA and SOX. Advantages over classical secure e-mail are that confidential and authenticated exchanges can be started immediately by any internet user worldwide since there is no requirement to install any software nor to obtain or to distribute cryptographic keys beforehand. Secure messages provide non-repudiation as the recipients are personally identified and transactions are logged by the secure email platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Callas</span> American computer security expert

Jon Callas is an American computer security expert, software engineer, user experience designer, and technologist who is the co-founder and former CTO of the global encrypted communications service Silent Circle. He has held major positions at Digital Equipment Corporation, Apple, PGP, and Entrust, and is considered "one of the most respected and well-known names in the mobile security industry." Callas is credited with creating several Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards, including OpenPGP, DKIM, and ZRTP, which he wrote. Prior to his work at Entrust, he was Chief Technical Officer and co-founder of PGP Corporation and the former Chief Technical Officer of Entrust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cryptocat</span> Open source encrypted chat application

Cryptocat is a discontinued open-source desktop application intended to allow encrypted online chatting available for Windows, OS X, and Linux. It uses end-to-end encryption to secure all communications to other Cryptocat users. Users are given the option of independently verifying their buddies' device lists and are notified when a buddy's device list is modified and all updates are verified through the built-in update downloader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Moscaritolo</span> American computer security expert

Vincent (Vinnie) Moscaritolo is a retired American computer security expert known for his work in encryption applications for mobile devices. After decades in the computer industry, he now volunteers as a search and rescue professional. He holds NREMT, WFR, and Amateur Radio Extra Class and a General Radiotelephone Operator with Ships Radar License.

The Silent Circle Instant Message Protocol (SCIMP) was an encryption scheme that was developed by Vincent Moscaritolo of Silent Circle. It enabled private conversation over instant message transports such as XMPP (Jabber).

Wickr is an American software company based in New York City, known for its instant messenger application of the same name. The Wickr instant messaging apps allow users to exchange end-to-end encrypted and content-expiring messages, and are designed for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. Wickr was acquired by Amazon Web Services (AWS) mid-2021 and shut down the free version of the app in December 2023.

The Dark Mail Alliance is an organization dedicated to creating an email protocol and architecture with end-to-end encryption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackphone</span> Smartphone made to ensure privacy

The Blackphone is a smartphone built to ensure privacy, developed by SGP Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Silent Circle. Originally, SGP Technologies was a joint venture between the makers of GeeksPhone and Silent Circle. Marketing is focused upon business users, stressing that employees often conduct business using private devices and services that are not secure and that the Blackphone service readily provides users with options that ensure confidentiality when needed. Blackphone provides Internet access through VPN. The device runs a modified version of Android called SilentOS that comes with a bundle of security-minded tools.

TextSecure was an encrypted messaging application for Android that was developed from 2010 to 2015. It was a predecessor to Signal and the first application to use the Signal Protocol, which has since been implemented into WhatsApp and other applications. TextSecure used end-to-end encryption to secure the transmission of text messages, group messages, attachments and media messages to other TextSecure users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Whisper Systems</span> Open source software organization

Open Whisper Systems was a software development group that was founded by Moxie Marlinspike in 2013. The group picked up the open source development of TextSecure and RedPhone, and was later responsible for starting the development of the Signal Protocol and the Signal messaging app. In 2018, Signal Messenger was incorporated as an LLC by Moxie Marlinspike and Brian Acton and then rolled under the independent 501c3 non-profit Signal Technology Foundation. Today, the Signal app is developed by Signal Messenger LLC, which is funded by the Signal Technology Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proton Mail</span> End-to-end encrypted email service

Proton Mail is a Swiss end-to-end encrypted email service founded in 2013 headquartered in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland. It uses client-side encryption to protect email content and user data before they are sent to Proton Mail servers, unlike other common email providers such as Gmail and Outlook.com. The service can be accessed through a webmail client, the Tor network, or dedicated iOS and Android apps.

Threema is a paid cross-platform encrypted instant messaging app developed by Threema GmbH in Switzerland and launched in 2012. The service operates on a decentralized architecture and offers end-to-end encryption. Users can make voice and video calls, send photos, files, and voice notes, share locations, and make groups. Unlike many other popular secure messaging apps, Threema does not require phone numbers or email address for registration, only a one-time purchase that can be paid via an app store or anonymously with Bitcoin or cash.

PrivatOS was an operating system used in the Blackphone from June 1, 2014, to June 30, 2016. It was targeted at users who sought improved privacy and security. It provided encryption for phone calls, emails, texts, and internet browsing. PrivatOS was a modified version of Android, forked from Android 4.4.2, that came with a bundle of security-minded tools. However, in contrast to Android, PrivatOS was not open source. The company that shipped PrivatOS, SGP Technologies is a joint venture between the makers of GeeksPhone, and Silent Circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Signal (messaging app)</span> Privacy-focused encrypted messaging app

Signal is an encrypted messaging service for instant messaging, voice, and video calls. The instant messaging function includes sending text, voice notes, images, videos, and other files. Communication may be one-to-one between users or may involve group messaging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowden effect</span>

In 2013, Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, leaked NSA documents that revealed the agency was collecting data from the electronic communications of United States citizens. Other disclosures included information about PRISM, the agency's data collection program, a surveillance metadata collection and XKeyscore, which supplies federated search capabilities for all NSA databases. Since that time, there have been perceptible increases in the general public's knowledge about the U.S. government's cybersecurity initiatives and awareness of how those initiatives have impacted the privacy of individuals, businesses and foreign governments.

References

  1. ↑ O'Neill, Patrick Howell (27 July 2017). "Back in America with a black eye, Silent Circle rebuilds with focus on software" . Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Ungerleider, Neal (5 October 2012). "Phil Zimmermann's Silent Circle Builds A Secure, Seductive Fortress Around Your Smartphone". Fast Company. Retrieved 2015-05-23.
  3. ↑ "SilentCircle". GitHub. Retrieved 2015-05-23.
  4. ↑ Bort, Julie. "An Internet Hall Of Famer And Some Navy SEALs Want To Make Your iPhone Safer". Business Insider, Inc. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  5. 1 2 Takahashi, Dean (8 August 2014). "Crypto wiz Phil Zimmermann leads charge to make phone calls really private". Venturebeat. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  6. ↑ Moneyhouse: Silent Circle SA (excerpt from the commercial register)
  7. ↑ Ranger, Steve (23 June 2015). "Defending the last missing pixels: Phil Zimmermann speaks out on encryption, privacy, and avoiding a surveillance state". TechRepublic.
  8. 1 2 Tsukayama, Hayley (Aug 9, 2013). "Lavabit, Silent Circle shut down e-mail: What alternatives are left?". Washington Post. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  9. 1 2 Dowd, Mark (27 January 2015). "BlackPwn: BlackPhone SilentText Type Confusion Vulnerability". Azimuth Security. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  10. ↑ Mimoso, Michael (28 January 2015). "Memory Corruption Bug Patched in Blackphone Silent Text App". Threatpost. Kaspersky Lab. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "Silent Circle: We haven't been served a single demand for data". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Silent Circle Appoints Gregg Smith as Chief Executive Officer".
  13. ↑ "Back in America with a black eye, Silent Circle rebuilds with focus on software". 27 July 2017.
  14. ↑ "Secure Messaging Scorecard. Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe?". Electronic Frontier Foundation. 2014-11-04.
  15. ↑ Ridden, Paul (30 July 2012). "PGP creator aims to keep digital communications strictly confidential with Silent Circle". Gizmag. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  16. 1 2 3 "What is Silent Phone?". Support.silentcircle.com. Silent Circle. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "A Eulogy: PrivatOS. June 1, 2014 – June 30, 2016 - Privacy Delivered" (Blog). Silent Circle. 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  18. ↑ "Attila Security raises $2.5M, moves into Fulton-based DataTribe". 2 November 2018.

Further reading

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