GSMK CryptoPhone, first secure GSM mobile phone with open source code, launched at INTERSEC

AGT will be distributing the GSMK-manufactured CryptoPhone in the region, with the target markets for the product being those organisations and individuals whose communications are sensitive and require secure encryption. For instance, these can be the police, armed forces, government ministries, banks and other industries with communication security requirements.

GSM mobile phone communication can technically be intercepted at multiple points of the network. Areas that are particularly vulnerable include the radio transmission link between mobile phone and base station as well as the directional microwave links used by network operators between base stations and switching equipment. The protection measures used in the GSM standard do not provide sufficient security against interception. They can easily be broken or circumvented with commercially available technology. Foreign intelligence agencies have listened into GSM networks routinely for years. Additionally, the equipment to conduct intercept operations against GSM mobile phones is so cheap, that its use by criminal and other elements has become a serious threat.

AGT Managing Director Anas Chbib points out the importance of secure communications: "Normal mobile phone communication is not as secure as most users think. They can be intercepted easily by anyone with cheaply purchased equipment and the desire to listen in on another party's telephone conversations. Although this may not be a major problem for most users, certain commercial users and security forces such as the police and government agencies require protection against interception. Encryption by the usual proprietary systems does not offer the required level of trustworthy security. Only an open source platform with the full source code published for review can be regarded as sufficiently secure. The GSMK CryptoPhone is the only existing GSM mobile phone featuring that."

The use of two very strong and well researched algorithms, AES and Twofish, using 256-bit keys is a unique feature of the GSMK CryptoPhone. A new key is used for each secure call and is generated by a 4096-bit Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

GSMK's CTO Frank Rieger adds: "Protecting private information with strong and trustworthy encryption has become difficult. 'Proprietary' or 'secret' algorithms of dubious quality, and encryption that is too weak to protect against modern computing power are commonplace in the telecommunications market. The GSMK CryptoPhones' strong cryptographic design combined with the published source code offers a convincing alternative for users who demand a security solution they can trust. The published source code provides a level of transparency previously not available in the mobile security market. You do not need to trust us but are able to verify the security yourself before you buy."

The GSMK CryptoPhone is the first secure mobile phone that comes with full source code available for independent review. Everyone can perform an independent assessment to insure that there is neither weak encryption nor back doors in the device.

Chbib stresses: "The phone is not a "black-box" device with only scarce technical information available, as is the case with other products in the market. We will hand out all the details of its inner workings - even before the phone is bought!"

CryptoPhone is also the first product to use the fact the CPU performance of portable consumer devices like mobile phones and PDAs is now sufficient for strong real time voice encryption. The processing power makes it possible to effectively counter rampant telecommunications surveillance. The GSMK CryptoPhone is the first in a series of fully interoperable voice encryption products that can cater to the diverse needs of different customer groups. In addition to the GSM based encryption, a software for telephony via ISDN or modem is provided for free download on the manufacturer's website at http://www.cryptophone.de