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ProtonMail Launched on Android and iOS

We bring great news today to all the privacy activists out there. The celebrated Swiss encrypted email provider ProtonMail is finally available to the general public! ProtonMail has also released their apps for Android and iOS. In addition, the Internet Task Force (ITF) is working on better security for email in general.

ProtonMail for All

ProtonMail is currently the world’s biggest secure email service, and has been serving select customers since May 2014, during their beta testing phase. Now, after almost two years, everyone is welcome to sign up for a ProtonMail account as the service is now accepting open signups. This awesome news comes along with the launch of their Android and iOS apps, which are available at the Google Play store and the Apple App store.

CERN and MIT scientists are responsible for this privacy-oriented email service, which became hugely popular in the wake of the Snowden revelations. Unable at that early stage to take on a large number of users, their nearly 10,000 sign-up requests were put on hold until now. ProtonMail was by invitation only for almost two years, and about a million activists, journalists, businesses, and other select individuals participated in the closed beta testing to make it what it is today – ready to serve the world.

ProtonMail offers the first end-to-end encrypted service that has open registration. In this day and age of vanishing privacy, the world needs this super secure email service to protect private communications from hacking and government snooping. End-to-end encryption means that no one, not even the provider, will be able to access readable emails. Proton Technologies AG, the company behind ProtonMail, has been dragged into the encryption controversy many times as governments seek to gain control over private communications, but the company has proved that it can and will take a strong stand to protect users.

The founders of Proton Technologies have recognized that an encrypted email service is not only for the select few that face daily threats – such as journalists and activists – but has also become a necessity for everyone, and to secure our digital infrastructure so that the social and economic spheres are protected. The first step here is to quickly provide as many people as possible with the tools that they need to safeguard their data. Governments should not have power over the choice to use encryption, says co-founder Dr. Andy Yen; rather, every person should be able to make that decision for themselves. Proton Technologies AG is dedicated to helping people to regain privacy on the Internet.

ProtonMail was originally crowdfunded and is able to continue operations through donations from users and a Geneva non-profit foundation. Since Proton Technologies is based in Switzerland, the company enjoys stronger privacy protections. ProtonMail also believes in open source, so the workings of the service are open to the user community.

Internet Task Force Begins Serious Email Overhaul

Email has used the unencrypted and therefore unsecure SMTP protocol since it was designed decades ago. Hackers can also easily get around SLL, so emails are very easily exposed to intruders. There has been a lot of talk about changing this for the security and privacy of users, but now, members of the ITF are getting serious about the task at hand. LinkedIn, Yahoo, Microsoft, Google, 1&1 Mail & Media Development, and Comcast are working together to resolve the SSL issue by developing a new format called SMTP Strict Transport Security (STS). By creating an email system that checks for certification and encryption support automatically, they can prevent access to hackers who try to break down SSL encryption. Unsecured emails will not be sent and senders will be notified if encryption fails so that they can take steps to secure their emails. There is still a lot of work to be done before the ITF proposal is put into action, but it is always good to see some progress being made for the interests of better security that also protects the privacy of users everywhere.

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