Encrypted Messaging App – Cyber Security by Kryptotel

What are different VPN Protocols?

VPN solutions are based on different VPN security protocols. Each of these VPN protocols offer different features and levels of security. Some of the VPN protocols commonly used are explained below:

Internet Protocol Security or IPSec:

Internet Protocol Security or IPSec is used to secure Internet communication across an IP network. IPSec secures Internet Protocol communication by authenticating the session and encrypts each data packet during the connection.
IPSec operates in two modes, Transport mode and Tunneling mode, to protect data transfer between two different networks. The transport mode encrypts the message in the data packet and the tunneling mode encrypts the entire data packet. IPSec can also be used with other security protocols to enhance the security system.

Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP):

L2TP or Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol is a tunneling protocol that is usually combined with another VPN security protocol like IPSec to create a highly secure VPN connection. L2TP creates a tunnel between two L2TP connection points and IPSec protocol encrypts the data and handles secure communication between the tunnel.

Point – to – Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP):

PPTP or Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol creates a tunnel and encapsulates the data packet. It uses a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) to encrypt the data between the connection. PPTP is one of the most widely used VPN protocol and has been in use since the time of Windows 95. Apart from Windows, PPTP is also supported on Mac and Linux.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS):

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) create a VPN connection where the web browser acts as the client and user access is restricted to specific applications instead of entire network. SSL and TLS protocol is most commonly used by online shopping websites and service providers. Web browsers switch to SSL with ease and with almost no action required from the user, since web browsers come integrated with SSL and TLS. SSL connections have https in the beginning of the URL instead of http.

OpenVPN:

OpenVPN is an open source VPN that is useful for creating Point-to-Point and Site-to-Site connections. It uses a custom security protocol based on SSL and TLS protocol.

Secure Shell (SSH):

Secure Shell or SSH creates the VPN tunnel through which the data transfer happens and also ensures that the tunnel is encrypted. SSH connections are created by a SSH client and data is transferred from a local port on to the remote server through the encrypted tunnel.

– Captain Krypto 🙂

Feel free to get in touch with Kryptotel for any further information about encrypted smartphones. You might as well be interested in KryptoPhone – the customized encrypted smartphone by Kryptotel. To know more about KryptoPhone, please visit us at: www.kryptotel.net.

How Secure is WhatsApp’s Encryption?

WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging app service, in April this year, announced that the service would now use end-to-end encryption to secure user communication. The service would benefit 1 billion+ users of the messaging across all devices.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a secure way of communication where only the actual users involved in the communication can access the messages in the chat. Eavesdroppers, cyber-criminals and hackers, telecom companies, Internet Service Providers or government agencies cannot read the messages. Even the company that has built the application will not read the messages.

WhatsApp on its website says, “WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption is available when you and the people you message use the latest versions of our app. Many messaging apps only encrypt messages between you and them, but WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption ensures only you and the person you’re communicating with can read what is sent, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp. This is because your messages are secured with a lock, and only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read them. For added protection, every message you send has its own unique lock and key. All of this happens automatically: no need to turn on settings or set up special secret chats to secure your messages.”

This means WhatsApp will now have end-to-end encryption by default. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) will ensure that all communication between two users will secure and cannot be read by anyone else. Text messages, Audio/Voice notes, videos, pictures, everything will now be encrypted and cannot be read by anyone except the sender and the receiver. Not even the WhatsApp.

[blockquote author=”” link=”” target=”_blank”]Although it is a welcome that step that WhatsApp is finally an encrypted messaging service, but the question that now arises is “how secure is WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption?”. We will break down encryption in WhatsApp and how secure it actually is.[/blockquote]

WhatsApp had partnered with Open Whisper Systems to design its new end-to-end encryption feature which is based on Signal Protocol.

According to the whitepaper issued by WhatsApp, once the session has been established, clients need not rebuild new sessions with each other until the session is ended by the users.

The whitepaper further explains how encryption takes place in WhatsApp. It reads, “clients exchange messages that are protected with a Message Key using AES256 in CBC mode for encryption and HMAC-SHA256 for authentication. The Message Key changes for each message transmitted, and is ephemeral, such that the Message Key used to encrypt a message cannot be reconstructed from the session.”

[blockquote author=”” link=”” target=”_blank”]All this sounds good so far. Whether the security and privacy that WhatsApp talks about is enough for the user or not, is for the user to decide. Not for us. But here are our two cents on WhatsApp encryption.[/blockquote]

WhatsApp might still collect your metadata.

While the end-to-end encryption might ensure that the contents of the message are not accessed by unauthorized users or even by the WhatsApp, but WhatsApp itself might store metadata. This means the phone numbers involved in the conversation as well as the timestamp on the messages are stored on the servers of the company. Collecting metadata could give out information like who the user communicated with, the time of the communication, how often the two users communicate with each other, the location of the two users at the time of communication, etc.

WhatsApp is owned by Facebook

WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in the year 2014. Facebook is considered one of the least privacy minded company in the market. There also have been some reports doing rounds on the Internet that Facebook supplies government with reports and information. So if that’s the case then it makes little sense that a messaging app owned by a least privacy minded company would not share information of the users to the government agencies.

Messaging Apps with higher grade of encryption available in the market.

Now that the popular messaging app WhatsApp has decided to go with end-to-end encryption, it is not the best encrypted messaging app available in the market. There are many other messaging apps in the market today which offer higher grade of encryption. Some apps even provide military grade of encryption and multiple levels of security.
So if a user is concerned about privacy and security then WhatsApp might not be the best option for that user. The market is wide open when it comes to encrypted messaging apps.

Providing encryption to a billion users free of cost?

WhatsApp has a billion users and providing end-to-end encryption to a billion users is a stupendous task and the efforts must be appreciated. But the question that arises in people’s minds is why is WhatsApp offering encryption at no cost at all? Why is it free of charge? Where does WhatsApp make money from?!

Please feel free to add in your thoughts in the comments section below. We would appreciate your valuable contribution.

– Captain Krypto 🙂

For users interested in messaging apps with higher grade of encryption, please visit: Military Grade Encryption VoIP Apps

Feel free to get in touch with Kryptotel for any further information about encrypted smartphones. You might as well be interested in KryptoPhone – the customized encrypted smartphone by Kryptotel. To know more about KryptoPhone, please visit us at: www.kryptotel.net.

How to encrypt calls and chat?

In the digital era that we live in today, securing privacy of your data and communication on any medium is next to impossible and a never ending struggle.

In the digital era that we live in today, securing privacy of your data and communication on any medium is next to impossible and a never ending struggle. Your communication could easily be accessed by your telephone operator, Internet Service Provider, and even some agencies.

With the omnipresent methods of modern surveillance on almost all modes of communication, there are still ways to protect your communication and data from prying eyes. In this blog, we discuss about how we can protect our calls and chats from being snooped upon.

[blockquote author=”” link=”” target=”_blank”]Having your calls encrypted is a fool-proof way of securing your communication. There are a number of encrypted VoIP apps available in the market today who offer secure communication by making use of various encryption protocols.[/blockquote]

Kryptotel Secure VoIP is one of the superior VoIP apps in the market who’s core feature is encryption of the communication. Using Kryptotel Secure VoIP, a user can make encrypted audio and video calls, and encrypted instant messaging as well.

For government officials and business professionals who are concerned about their call conversations being private and secure, especially when telephone companies keep record of telephone call data in their archives for years.

Call tapping for private investigation purposes and for commercial competition/illegal industrial espionage leads to 5% of the world’s population being listened to during their private conversations.

Kryptotel secure VoIP app has been designed keeping in mind the government and business professionals who want to secure their communication to safeguard their organization’s communication and activities. Spying on competitor companies to industry secrets common for contract hackers.

Kryptotel Secure VoIP app doesn’t transit through the operators public telephone switches but uses Internet connection encrypting the content safely without leaving any trace or the possibility of recording any of the data (the caller or the called). Even with the “Black Out calls” the caller ID is changed for every call. Kryptotel app is one of the best solution a person concerned about his/her privacy can find today.

[blockquote author=”” link=”” target=”_blank”]The Kryptotel app uses military grade encryption and other secure features to secure a user’s communication through the app. Kryptotel app uses Asymmetric, Symmetric and SHA-512 algorithms in order to maximize the level of security.[/blockquote]

Asymmetric Encryption based on RSA certificates and private key of 8192 bits, which is a military grade requirement in encryption.

Symmetric encryption based on AES 256 bits is used by Kryptotel app. This app also uses SHA-512 algorithm for digital signature.

This is a stronger level of encryption used in the app. In the commercial world, usually an encryption level of RSA 20148 bit and AES 128-bit is used. For securing online banking, RSA 2048 and AES 128 bit is usually used.

All the communication, between two devices with Kryptotel app, is encrypted. Be it instant messages, audio or video calls, audio conferencing – all of it is encrypted and secured with a military grade encryption.

Using a Kryptotel app, you can share images, audio and video clips, and also PDF, XLS, Doc file types.
Upon installing Kryptotel secure VoIP app on your device, you are provided with a unique number (just like a phone number). When you want to make an encrypted call to other person with Kryptotel app, you need to dial his/her Kryptotel number.

In case the other person is not available to pick the call, it will be redirected to his/her voice mail. The voice mail will be stored in an encrypted container and only the actual recipient will be able to listen to it. The voice mail can be listened only through a Kryptotel app which uses account authentication method and decrypts the recorded message. To access your voice mail you need to dial toll free number 444 and keep digit 1 pressed for few seconds, the easy to use IVS will guide you to read, store and cancel your voice mail.

Download Kryptotel Secure VoIP app:

You can either download Kryptotel app from your phone’s app store or from its website: https://securevoip.kryptotel.net/download/
More details about securing communication with Kryptotel app are available at: securevoip.kryptotel.net.