By Lily Hay Newman for WIRED.
WIRED
As end-to-end encrypted messaging apps have exploded in popularity, several well-known services have added encrypted calls as well. Why not, right? If it works for text-based chat, voice seems like a natural extension. If only it were that easy.
Encrypting calls has plenty of value, keeping conversations strictly between the two parties. They can circumvent government wiretaps, or criminal snooping. But a host of technical challenges with facilitating the calls themselves has slowed the spread of voice over internet protocol overall. Bandwidth is expensive. Firewalls and network filters make it harder to route data streams. Even basic call quality issues, like delays and echoes, prove difficult to fix. Adding encryption on top of all of this takes additional resources and specialized developers.
All of which has delayed encrypted calling but not stopped it. And a new groundswell of enthusiasm is bringing more options than ever.
The challenges of making reliable encrypted calling starts with the underlying premise of internet-based calls. Theyre hard. While VoIP calling has become more reliable over the years, it remains technically challenging in itself, especially when people use cellular data instead of more stable ethernet or Wi-Fi connections.
Despite those challenges, Signal, the well-regarded secure communication platform, has offered encrypted calling since 2014. And when WhatsApp followed in 2016, bringing encrypted calls and video chat to more than a billion users, it helped shake off some longstanding inertia. Other secure messaging apps like Wire and Telegram have added encrypted calling over the last year. Signal itself even rolled out call quality improvements in February.
Signal developer Open Whisper Systems open-sources its code, so that companies can borrow from it to build their own encrypted chat and calling features. For example, while WhatsApps overall setup is proprietary, it bases the key exchange for its end-to-end encrypted messages and calls on Signal Protocol. Its users have to trust that it is implementing true end to end encryption in the way it claims. In exchange it brings some form of end to end encryption to an enormous user base that would probably otherwise have little exposure to or protection from the feature. And customers who dont have faith in a large provider like WhatsApp now have other options, given the recent proliferation of both VoIP in general and encryption specifically.
Theres so much happening right now in this space which is really exciting, says Nathan Freitas, the founder and director of the Guardian Project, a privacy and security nonprofit that worked on an encrypted calling platform called Open Secure Telephony Network. In 2012 there was just Skype basically. Google Hangouts didnt even exist. FaceTime existed kind of. So were really happy when theres so much public innovation that includes privacy and security.
Though not nearly as much as there could be, if everyone could get on the same page.
As with messaging, end-to-end encrypted calls require that both ends of the conversation use the same system. In other words, using Signal to call a landline wont cut it; you need to connect with another Signal user. Given this reality, many developers naturally gravitate to implementing encryption in closed systems; its easier both to manage and monetize.
For users, though, this approach has downsides. Unless the developer makes the product fully open source, or allows for extensive independent auditing, theres no guarantee that the encryption implementation works as advertised. The lock-in factor also limits who you can safely communicate with, which slows adoption.
Imagine, instead, an open communication standard that includes end-to-end encryption. It would allow secure communication with more people between different products and interfaces, because the protocols facilitating the end to end encryption would be the same.
The Guardian Projects OSTN experiment attempted to create exactly that sort of comprehensive, open communication suite. It focuses on using existing open, interoperable communication standards, employing classic protocols like ZRTP, which was developed in the mid 2000s by PGP creator Phil Zimmerman, and SRTP, which was developed in the early 2000s at Cisco. It also coordinates and controls its voice calls using the Session Initiation Protocol, developed by the telecom industry in the mid 1990s.
That retro backbone didnt come by choice; there simply arent a lot of more modern open protocol options available. Most big VoIP plus encryption advances have come from private companies like Skype (now owned by Microsoft), Google, and Apple, who offer varying degrees of encryption protection for calls and tend to value locked-in users over interoperability. That left OSTN with old tools.
While theyre very powerful, these are things that are 10, 20, 30 years old in terms of the architecture and the thinking, Freitas says. Theyre definitely showing their age.
And while a few smaller services, like PrivateWave and Jitsi, have adopted OSTN, the decision by larger companies to go it alone has limited its open-protocol dreams. Thats especially a shame for people who need absolute guarantees of security.
With proprietary apps, it can be hard for a user to tell if end-to-end encryption is enabled on both ends. Or, in the case of apps whose encryption protocols have not been fully vetted, whether it works as advertised to begin with.
For mainstream services, crypto is a nice add-on to give users the idea that they can feel more secure, but thats completely different than when your [customers] are people who are under threat, says Bjoern Rupp, the CEO of the boutique German secure communication firm CryptoPhone. If you have to fear for your life, not all secure communication systems are designed for that.
Encryption die-hards can host their own system using open standards like OSTN, similar to how you might host your own email server. Though it takes some technical knowhow, its an option that gives users real control and that isnt possible with closed systems. Another option is to use a security first service like CryptoPhone that offers an integrated, one-stop solution.
CryptoPhones can only call other CryptoPhones, but the company made that choice so it could control the security and experience of both hardware and software. To reconcile this closed system with transparency, the company is open source and invites independent review. It also has over a decade of experience. CryptoPhone has been making high-end commercial products for secure voice calling for a long time, the Guardian Projects Freitas says. They had these crypto flip phones, which were awesome.
None of which leaves the average consumer with widespread encrypted calling that works across multiple services. There may be some help on the way, though, in the form of a new, open, decentralized communication standard called Matrix that includes end to end encryption for chat, VoIP calling, and more. Matrix could be a clean, easy to implement standard underlying other software. For instance, if Slack and Google Hangouts both used the Matrix standard, you would be able to Slack someone from Hangouts and vice versa, similar to how you can send emails to anyone using their email address, regardless of what provider they use.
The net owes its existence to open interoperability, says Matthew Hodgson, technical lead of Matrix. Then people build silos to capture value, which is fair enough, but you get to a saturation point where the silos start really stifling innovation and progress through monopolism.
The catch, of course, is getting buy-in from companies that have little incentive, or getting new services built on a standard like Matrix to take off. Walled gardens tend to produce more profit than open ones.
Still, having these new options is an important first step. And combined with the broader proliferation of encrypted voice-calling apps, change finally seems to be coming from a lot of directions at once. I think theres a longer-term project going on called the internet, Freitas says. Some of us still believe in it.
Read more:
Encrypted Chat Took Over. Let's Encrypt Calls, Too - Huffington Post
- Jitsi - Business VoIP Phone Service | OnSIP [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2014]
- Softonic - Jitsi - Download [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2014]
- The Architecture of Open Source Applications: Jitsi [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2014]
- Jitsi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2014]
- Jitsi - Official Site [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2014]
- FLOSS Weekly 293: Jitsi Meet - Video [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2014]
- Jitsi Overview: FLOSS Weekly 293 - Video [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2014]
- NetSecDemo Secure FTP over Jitsi - Video [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2014]
- Jitsi VoIP softphone Hands On Tutorial - Video [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2014]
- Eliyah Moore, Barum Jiu Jitsi Vs Cahel Gonzalez, 5 Star Martial Arts - Video [Last Updated On: May 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 16th, 2014]
- How to download and install Jitsi - Video [Last Updated On: May 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 17th, 2014]
- Jitsi (Mac) - Download - Softonic [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2014]
- Using XMPP chat with Jitsi - Video [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2014]
- Jitsi - SIP Softphone - Video [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2014]
- The Luminosity of Free Software Episode 20 - Video [Last Updated On: September 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 13th, 2014]
- FOSDEM 2014 - Jitsi Videobridge And Webrtc - Video [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2014]
- Just Linux touch screen and Jitsi - Video [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2014]
- jitsi.org | Jitsi [Last Updated On: September 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 17th, 2014]
- Bitcoin and dark wallet could be used by terrorists. So what? [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2014]
- Top messaging apps flat-out flunk EFF's security review [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2014]
- When I say join me in a jitsi meet... - Video [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2014]
- Jitsi Flasms Dogfooding: Using your own imperfect solutions helps improve them, - Video [Last Updated On: November 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2014]
- IETF91 chairs meeting Honolulu Jitsi Meet presentation - Video [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2014]
- IETF91 chairs meeting Honolulu Jitsi Meet questions - Video [Last Updated On: November 18th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 18th, 2014]
- jitsi videollamada - Video [Last Updated On: December 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: December 26th, 2014]
- Skype Encrypted Alt. SIP Jitsi Combo [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2015]
- Jitsi Wikipdia [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2015]
- Jitsi for Mac | MacUpdate - Apple Mac OS X Software & Apps ... [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2015]
- Nexi Unified Communication Jitsi Presentazione full - Video [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2015]
- Jitsi - secure IM & VoIP | security in-a-box [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2015]
- JITSI - Video [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2015] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2015]
- Jitsi: A Multi-Protocol, Cross Platform Compatible Chat ... [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2015]
- jitsi/jitsi-meet GitHub [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2015]
- Jitsi Tutorial 1 - Installation - Top Windows Tutorials [Last Updated On: August 8th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 8th, 2015]
- Jitsi, ostel.co and ISP censorship | The Guardian Project [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2015]
- Jitsi | Tiki Suite [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2015]
- Jitsi SIP Softphone Review - About.com Tech [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2015]
- Jitsi Configuration and Review - Callcentric [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2015]
- A Skype alternative worth its salt: Jitsi | usability ... [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2015]
- Jitsi (Build 3132) [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2015]
- [jitsi-users] SIP - Lync Connect deosnt work [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2015]
- Jitsi - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2015]
- Why did Atlassian Acquire Jitsi? (Hint: WebRTC Multiparty ... [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2016]
- Jitsi Download - Softpedia [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2016]
- OpenFire Jitsi as Skype(desktop sharing) and Temviewer ... [Last Updated On: March 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 20th, 2016]
- Jitsi - WOW.com [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2016] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2016]
- Review: Jitsi the ultimate SIP voice and video client ... [Last Updated On: April 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: April 22nd, 2016]
- Jitsi WOW.com | Prometheism.net [Last Updated On: May 1st, 2016] [Originally Added On: May 1st, 2016]
- Jitsi - OSTN - Guardian Project Open Dev [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2016]
- Jitsi - FreeBSD Wiki [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2016]
- Jitsi - [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2016] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2016]
- Chocolatey Gallery | Jitsi 2.8.5426 [Last Updated On: May 28th, 2016] [Originally Added On: May 28th, 2016]
- Jitsi - Quora [Last Updated On: May 31st, 2016] [Originally Added On: May 31st, 2016]
- Jitsi - Mensajera instantnea segura de texto, audio y ... [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2016]
- Jitsi - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2016]
- Trying to install jitsi meet with apache2 - Stack Overflow [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2016]
- Jitsi softphone for Windows OnSIP Support [Last Updated On: November 23rd, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 23rd, 2016]
- Jitsi for Mac - Download - jitsi.en.softonic.com [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Jitsi for Windows - Secure Instant Messaging and VoIP [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Edward Snowden's New Job: Protecting Reporters From Spies - WIRED [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Snowden helping develop tools to protect journalists and whistleblowers - 'to make the game a little more fair' - Press Gazette [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Jitsi Meet - Android Apps on Google Play [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2017]
- 5 Apps You Didn't Know You Needed - Syracuse University News [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2017]
- Your Essential List of 7 Productivity Hacks and Time Management Tips - Business 2 Community [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2017]
- Online privacy guide for journalists - Radioinfo (subscription) [Last Updated On: May 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 18th, 2017]
- Diaspora* and Other Free Software Are Available in the Occitan Language, Thanks to Volunteer Translators - Global Voices Online [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2017]
- Jitsi Meet (advanced) Projects [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2017]
- How to Configure and Set-Up Jitsi - Liberty Under Attack [Last Updated On: June 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 6th, 2017]
- Jitsi - PediaView.com [Last Updated On: June 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 14th, 2017]
- FAQ | Jitsi [Last Updated On: June 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 25th, 2017]
- FAQ | Jitsi | Prometheism.net - euvolution.com [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2017]
- Tsirang vegetable vendors commit to selling local chillies - Kuensel, Buhutan's National Newspaper [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2017]
- FAQ | Jitsi | Futurist Transhuman News Blog [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2017]
- FAQ | Jitsi | Prometheism.net euvolution.com | Futurist ... [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2017]
- Jitsi | Futurist Transhuman News Blog - euvolution.com [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2017]
- Gladstone gold does club proud - Gladstone Observer [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2017]
- Fox Sports 1 Dials Up VCC for The Herd With Colin Cowherd - TV Technology [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2019]
- Fox Sports 1 Utilized Video Call Center to Extend Reach of Shows Like The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Sports Video Group [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2019]
- Home schooling tips: The things I wish I'd known before the schools went into lockdown - Telegraph.co.uk [Last Updated On: March 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 26th, 2020]
- What Is the Most Secure Video Conferencing Software? - VICE [Last Updated On: March 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 26th, 2020]