How many people use encrypted apps? New reports from US research studies

Although encrypted messaging is well-known and taken into account everywhere, there is a remarkable number of people who still perseveres to ignore the huge contribution of this kind of softwares to mobile security. In order to make things clearer, past year some researchers from Google and Carnegie Mellon Univeristy in Pittsburgh presented a study at the Symposium On Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS) which held every year in Santa Clara, California. The research results showed that nearly 7% of the more than 1,500 surveyed people used to employ apps in such a way that actually wasn’t safe. This means that security app value is definitely underrated!

But even more incredible is the fact that the most of asked people adduced they made use of encrypted apps because their friends or relatives did the same, not indeed for securing their messages! Not surprisingly, the most-used apps, such as Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, or till a few months ago even WhatsApp, do not use end-to-end messaging encryption at all. Anyway it’s time to admit we’re still so far behind a full mobile security awareness.

Nevertheless nowaday there are specific mobile devices that allow a complete and automatic usage of encrypted apps without any user intervention, such as the so called encrypted cell phones which provide a total protection when it comes to communicate or use web browser, social networks, messaging platforms etc. Not only, some of the above mentioned devices are also able to protect the user against mobile phone eavesdropping or privacy breakdown. So if you are really concerned about your mobile communications as well as disdained about the ignorance that turns around these powerful protection tools, why do not try to consider using an encrypted mobile phone? It will be surely worth to attain your full mobile phone security!

Can text messages be intercepted?

Those who fear that their conversations could be intercepted, especially if they use the phone to discuss sensitive topics, confidential subjects or matters of a certain financial relevance, sometimes think that, to avoid being tapped, they can use SMS to communicate securely.

Unfortunately for them, though, this is not true, and actually, an SMS would leave an indelible track, which could easily be used against us at any time and in any situation. In fact, thanks to modern systems mobile phone wiretapping, not only one can listen to calls from any phone within a radius of several hundred meters, but also read all SMS traffic in the same area.

These systems are able to read the encoding used by cell phone networks to encrypt conversations; therefore, to protect oneself from covert listening, the best way is certainly to encrypt our conversations, using a code that is not the one used to encrypt the signal sent through the network, and thus add an extra layer of protection to our telephone conversations.

The principle used to make encrypted phone calls is the same that we see every day on our computers, if we use a system such as PGP to protect our e-mail.

In fact, on the cell phone is installed a simple encryption software, which combined with the relevant encryption key, converts the audio track into an unintelligible noise. If our counterpart’s phone has the same software and the same encryption key, it can decode this noise, and our conversation will go on regularly and without prying ears.

Any attempt to intercept, would only be able to hear only the noise of the encoded phone call, but would not be able to decipher it. In this way, our phones are safe from being tapped, and we will not have to worry that sensitive information could end up in the wrong hands, with the potential risk to create serious damage to our work or our family.

Anyone wishing to learn more about various ways to ensure privacy protection, by telephone, at home or in the office, may visit the Endoacustica website and consult our experts, at your disposal to find the solution that best suits your safety needs.

Untraceable cell phones against unwelcome listeners

Even though all the song and dance that we are witnessing in Italy about the law that would regulate (that is, limit) the usage of telephone wiretapping would only benefit a few people who would want their dirty business to remain secret, it is actually true that, at least theoretically, there is a problem concerning eavesdropping; that is, our phone calls are at risk because the GSM network, as it has been proven several times, is not completely secure.

Therefore, this places us at risk of having our conversations intercepted by prying ears, and that the information gathered could be used against us. Of course, for those who live an ordinary life, the risk of having their calls listened to by a third party does not pose a serious threat.

But for those who have interests to protect, because their professional activity moves substantial amounts of money, or simply because they want their private matters to remain confidential, the danger of telephone wiretapping might mean losing a big order, or even having to close down their business, not to mention potential family problems.

To protect ourselves against mobile phone interception, it is possible to use a tool that makes sure that no one can listen to our conversations. The Stealth untraceable cell phone delivers absolute protection against the possibility of being intercepted, by adopting a dynamic defense strategy.

To understand how it works, you should keep in mind that wiretapping on our mobile phone can be done not only by the phone number, but mostly by keeping track of phone calls placed and received by a specific handset, intercepting it by its IMEI number, that is, the 15-digit number that uniquely identifies every single telephone. So, changing your SIM card is no use if you are being intercepted, and it would actually place you into a greater risk, as while you think you are protected, you may reveal secrets and compromising details.

Instead, the Stealth Phone, thanks to a modification in its installed firmware, can automatically change its IMEI number each time it is switched on and off, or after each call; the IMEI number can also be changed manually. By doing this, even though you are physically using the same handset, for the network operator (and for those who want to discover our secrets) it will be like you are using a different phone each time.

In the extremely unlikely case that an interception attempt should be detected, your invisible Stealth phone will warn you immediately, by a sound or a vibration. In such cases, all you have to do is close your call and change the IMEI number, either manually or by switching the phone off and on again. At this point, with a new IMEI number it will be like having a new (and non traceable) phone, so you will be able to resume your call where you left it.

Of course, using a Stealth phone does not protect you if it is your conversation counterpart who is being intercepted. Therefore, for those who call always the same person (a business partner or spouse) it is recommended that both use a Stealth Phone, in order to keep your conversations 100% secure and protected.

For more information on operation and different models of untraceable mobile phones, with prices and characteristics, we recommend that you visit the Endoacustica website and request a tailored consulting, one of our operators will contact you shortly.

Stealth Phone, the untraceable phone

Those who, either professionally or as simple users, are involved with telecommunication security, know that encryption of telephone calls makes them more difficult to be bugged, but not impossible, especially if only one of the two users engaged in a conversation is using an encrypted mobile phone, while on the other side, his counterpart is using a common cellphone, which may be comfortable but is constantly exposed to the threat of eavesdropping.

To make sure that its calls can not be listened to, an encrypted cellphone must communicate with a similar equipment, which carries the same encoding key. By using this protection, a third party listener would only be able to hear noises; this means that encrypted mobile phones are not safe from eavesdropping per se, but make it impossible to understand the content of an eavesdropped phone call.

On the other hand, using a Stealth Phone you have in your hands a device which does not encrypt or encode its calls, but makes itself impossible to detect for any interception attempt, by dynamically changing its IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identifier) number, that is, the number that uniquely identifies every handset.

In fact, telephone interception operations are carried out not only based on the telephone number, but also according to this identification number, allowing a malicious third party to intercept your calls even if you change your SIM card on your phone. This because it’s not only the number that is scanned, but also (and mostly) the handset itself.

By changing its IMEI number each time that it is turned on or off, or any time that you change the SIM card on the inside, a Stealth Phone basically turns itself into a new cellphone every time.

The IMEI number is made up of 15 digits, which makes it virtually impossible that the numbers, automatically generated by a software installed on your Stealth phone, could ever be repeated; by doing this, every day you will have a different phone, and will be protected from third party listeners who may have picked up your IMEI number.

In the very unlikely event of an unauthorized access attempt, you will instantly receive a notification, either via an alert message or a discreet vibration; all you have to do at this point is turn off your untraceable phone, then turn it off again to be able to resume your conversation where you left off, without any further privacy concern.

In a few words, the difference between encrypted cellphones and invisible mobile phones lies in the fact that, while an encrypted phone protects the contents of the call by making it impossible to understand, Stealth protects the phone call itself, making it impossible to intercept.

In the same fashion, though, usage of a Stealth Phone does not guarantee protection against any eavesdropping which might be aimed not at us, but rather at our counterpart; for this reason, when you are engaged in a phone call that you would like to keep as strictly confidential as can be, it is advisable that both parties use the same kind of protection.

A phone call between to untraceable Stealth handsets protects you completely against outside listeners, allowing you to freely discuss the most confidential and private of matters, without any fear that your words may be picked up by prying ears and used against you.

For more information about how an untraceable phone works, as well as on encrypted phones and a wide range of devices for protection of your privacy, we recommend that you visit the Endoacustica website, where you can contact our experts for advice tailored on your needs.

Mobile phone bugging is now made easier

If you are using your mobile phone frequently, especially for private and confidential conversations, or if because of your work you always have the handset on to carry out negotiations or exchange information, a small piece of news which appeared on newspapers worldwide should legitimately sound as a warning to you.

In fact, just a few weeks ago, a young hacker from Germany has declared that he has cracked the encryption key that is used to transmit voice and data over the GSM network. This standard key is adopted by all GSM network operators worldwide, and is based on a 64-bit algorithm which, no matter how safe it is, is still much less complicated to decipher than one might think, especially when compared to the highly advanced 128 or 256-bit keys in use on more recent systems, not only in telephone communications field.

Of course, the kind of job necessary to force the codes such as the one in use on GSM networks, called A5/1, is not so easy as to be done by anyone, and the devices used for this kind of operations are generally very expensive, which so far made this technology accessible only to government agencies and law enforcement.

Anyway, during a worldwide hackers’ symposium, one of them revealed that currently it is actually possible to sneak into the GSM network, by using simple equipment which costs not more than 3000 dollars. Once this device is started, all you need is 30 minutes of work and you will easily be able to listen to mobile phone conversations within the range reached by this system.

On top of this, with software tools such as Java Virtual Machine, it is possible to install any kind of program on a mobile phone, and the user would not even notice it, making it possible to remotely listen to his conversations, turning the handset into a real spy phone.

This said, what can the ordinary mobile phone network user do to protect himself from such invisible threats?
Of course we can not just stand still waiting for phone operators to upgrade their security standards, and in the meantime have our phone conversations exposed to the risk of being bugged.

The best option we have is to add one further layer of security on top of the GSM encryption, by providing ourselves with an encrypted mobile phone, that is, a normal cellphone on which a particular software is installed, that encodes its conversations, by using a 256-bit encryption key, much safer than the 64-bit standard GSM network key.

The conversation between two encrypted phones takes place following the same principle as key-protected email. By making sure that both cellphones engaged in a conversation share the same encryption key, any eavesdropping operation which could get through to the encrypted conversation would only be able to hear a white noise, and this means that your phone calls are absolutely secure.

Therefore, you will easily be able to talk about sensitive subjects, or carry our confidential or sensitive negotiations over the phone, without any fear that your conversations might be bugged by any prying ears. Naturally, if your counterpart has a mobile phone which is not equipped with the same encryption system, should his phone be bugged, your voice could be heard; it is therefore advisable to use at least two (or more) encrypted cell phones, to be used by the people whose conversations you wish to keep secret.

For more information about how the encryption software works, and the models of mobile phones on which it can be installed, we advise you to visit the Endoacustica website, and contact our specialists for specific advice tailored on your needs.

3G encryption is in danger of being cracked

Times are harsh for security and privacy of our mobile phone calls: just a few weeks ago we learned that a young German hacker has cracked the A5/1 encryption used by GSM operators, which now might be made public, with a severe risk for privacy of our conversations.

Today we learned that the encryption system which manages conversations according to the 3G standard, called Kasumi, can easily be attacked and cracked with a procedure that only requires a few hours from an ordinary PC, and that there have already been successful attempts to breach its security.

The 3G encoding technique, called Misty is quite complex, as it uses an array of multiple keys, but its complexity makes it quite heavy on processors. Therefore, the Kasumi system was applied on it, in order to make the encryption process faster and easier.

Unfortunately though, this latter step seems to have created problems in terms of security, and now third generation mobile phone users are starting to wonder whether their conversations are really secure and private.

To be really safe from eavesdropping and prying ears, it is highly advisable to equip yourselves with a second tier of encoding and encryption, by using an interception-proof encrypted mobile phone.

In fact, encrypted phones are equipped with one more 256-bit encryption key, much safer than the 128-bit one used by GSM networks; by using two phones that share the same encoding key, any unwanted access would be thwarted, as the unauthorized listener would only be able to hear a white noise.

So, even though the modern cellular networks are showing signs of weakness as far as security is concerned, there is still a way to keep our calls private!

GSM encryption unveiled: is our privacy at risk?

Many sites worldwide are reporting today the news about a young German hacker who published the algorithm used by GSM cellphone networks to encrypt their phone calls. It is a 64-bit encryption key called A5/1.

This encryption has been used for well over 20 years to manage the phone calls placed by over 4 billion mobile phones worldwide. Making its key available to the general public might put the privacy of our conversations at risk, and Karsten Nohl, the hacker who recently announced his discovery during a convention, has stated that his move is aimed at pushing GSM operators towards implementation of more advanced systems to provide a higher security.

Operators are actually already planning to boost their technology to switch to 128-bit A5/3 encoding, which will provide protection from attacks that, according to Nohl, can be carried out simply with a computer and some radio equipment valued at around 2000 euros. For operators, another way to guarantee that their communications are interception-proof is to switch to the UMTS network which so far can not be intercepted.

For end users while waiting for operators to implement the necessary security measures to guarantee security on their networks the best option is certainly adding one further layer of security by encoding their calls through the usage of an encrypted mobile phone.

Encrypted cellphones are normal handsets on which a piece of software is installed that generated a 256-bit encryption key dramatically more secure than the normal GSM network 128-bit encryption. Thanks to the installation of the encoding software you can be sure that your conversations are secure, because even if a third party listener should get hold of the GSM access keys, he will never be able to have your own additional key.

By making sure that our counterpart’s cellphone is equipped with the same key, our phone calls will be safe from any kind of eavesdropping, since a hidden listener can only hear an unintelligible noise, absolutely impossible to translate to sounds and words for those who do not have the appropriate decoding key.
Furthermore, this software is password-protected, to prevent unauthorized access by anyone who might put their hands on our phone.

Thanks to this two-tier security cloak, you will then be able to make sure that your conversations stay absolutely confidential. Security and privacy of phone conversations is absolutely vital in fields where confidentiality of communication plays an important role, such as for example politics or public administration, especially for those working with public tenders.

Those who run a business may certainly take advantage from encrypted cell phones, to keep their information safe from competitors, who might be interested in obtaining clients’ names and conditions of sale, in order to gain new business. Police forces can also benefit from it, being able to establish a secure communications channel when carrying out operations against crime.

Even if the GSM network should no longer be bulletproof, the average user still has the possibility to protect himself from unwanted listeners, and law enforcement are still able to keep fighting criminals. For more information on encryption software to protect your phone calls, you can visit the Endoacustica website.

Invisible mobile phones

As we have seen in many previous posts on this blog, our conversations on mobile phone are far from being secure, far from being private and far from interception-proof. On the contrary, cellphone is the means of communications that carries the highest risk of having our conversations eavesdropped by prying ears, which could be interested in extracting information to be used against us, either in the personal life field or in business, especially if high-figure interests are at stake.

The most common mistake is made by thinking that, as far as telephone interception is concerned, it is only the telephone number that is placed under surveillance. By doing this, people think that they can be safe by simply changing the SIM card on their mobile phone, especially when travelling abroad.

Once the card is changed, erroneously believing to be safe, they start talking freely about confidential business. This is a very big mistake, because most of the mobile phone eavesdropping operations are carried out not only by picking up conversations from a specific telephone number, but also by using the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number, that is, the unique number that identifies each and every mobile phone on the market.

Every mobile phone has its unique IMEI number that identifies it, and the modern systems for covert listening and eavesdropping are capable of intercepting conversations carried out on a mobile phone, by using this number. Once the handset is being intercepted, changing your SIM card will not protect you from prying ears.

In theory, the solution would be using a different cellphone every time you change your SIM card, but aside from being not so practical, this method does not protect us from interceptions at all, or at least not as safely as it is the case by using an invisible mobile phone, otherwise called Stealth Phone which, instead of requiring to change the SIM card each time, changes its IMEI number upon request, whenever we want and without having to change the handset.

Invisible cellphones are normal Siemens S65 handsets, on which a special software has been installed which, automatically or upon request, interacts with the device’s firmware, thus dynamically changing the phone’s IMEI number. By doing this, it will be as if you are using a different handset each time, without actually changing your phone.

Furthermore, the Stealth untraceable phone is equipped with some sort of built-in firewall which, in the unlikely event of an interception attempt, will immediately send an alert to its user. Once you receive this kind of notification, all you have to do is close the call, change the IMEI number, and you will be able to resume your conversation from where you left it, without fear of any unauthorized listener.

Therefore, the Stealth Phone is a method which guarantees a 100% efficiency to protect the privacy of our conversations. By using a Stealth secure phone we will be protected from unauthorized listeners, and will be able to carry on with our business, or talk to our loved ones, without fearing that our conversations could be intercepted and used against us. To be sure that our counterpart is also protected, and that our conversations are absolutely impossible to intercept, it is recommended that both parties use a Stealth Phone.

For more information about how a secure phone works, as well as to view a wide array of devices for interception defense, you can visit the Endoacustica website.