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ProtonMail brings end-to-end encrypted email to iOS

Proton Mail

ProtonMail has announced the official launch of their mobile apps for iOS and Android today. ProtonMail brings seamless PGP end-to-end encryption to emailing, making it significantly more secure for those looking for an extra layer of privacy.

With the privacy and encryption debate looming on, more and more people may become interested in other ways in which encryption impacts them.

When Snowden was discussing documents with different journalists, it was reported he would only communicate with them if they were using PGP. Ensuring both ends of the communication were secure was vital for his discussions with journalists.

PGP may have been around for a long time, but I have yet to see one that integrates it as seamlessly as ProtonMail.

encrypted-protected-explanationOriginally founded in 2013 as an email web app, ProtonMail strives to protect online privacy. Their security page details the way in which ProtonMail keeps users secure, and how they themselves don’t have access to the information.

Working with open source cryptography (AES, RSA, and OpenPGP), owning their own servers instead of relying on a cloud, and using full disk encryption, ProtonMail seems serious about creating a business to keep users safe.

The other major feature that stands out in ProtonMail is the ability to create self-destructing messages. Think of it as a sort of SnapChat for emails. When sending out a message, a user can choose when the email will be deleted from the recipient’s inbox. This feature works with both ProtonMail email addresses, and non-ProtonMail email addresses.

ProtonMail is available for free in the iOS App Store and is compatible with iPhones and iPads. Users who would like to sign up for a free ProtonMail account may do so here, and ProtonMail Paid Plan pricing details are available here.

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Comments

  1. iSRS - 8 years ago

    Well, there you go, governments of the world… Force hardware makers/OS creators to weaken their systems, you STILL won’t get what you are looking for, and do potential unmeasurable damage to the digital interaction of billions of law abiding people around the world.

    • JBDragon - 8 years ago

      We had this battle in the Early 90’s with the FBI wanting to put the Clipper Chip into all hardware devices giving them Backdoor access, but then enough people wised up and realized it’s a global market, and making U.S. Citizen’s have weak security would stop anyone from installing any number of 3rd party solutions, most of which are not made in the U.S. and so there’s nothing the U.S. Government could even do to stop it.

      The iPhone security is great and for those that never have to really think about it. It just works with no effort. That’s how things work with Apple. Still would any smart Terrorist really trust Apple, a U.S. Company? Or would they just be better off buying any number of Android phones and installing any 3rd party Encryption program they want on that phone. They can do that right here in the U.S. and download what they need out of the U.S. How could the government ever stop that?

      All the while Terrorists are protecting themselves, Most of the U.S. Population using iPhones and Android phones with backdoor access are getting hacked and fraud and worse. That’s the end result. The FBI can spy on the general public and the Terrorists are protected still. Spy being the key word!! The FBI and whoever else mass spying on everyone’s phone looking for terrorists before they act. Breaking into a phone after they’ve already killed people and are now DEAD doesn’t really do much.

  2. Noah Darby - 8 years ago

    While having a backdoor has it’s merit for lawful search warrants but if that backdoor ever gets exploited by hackers due to some security flaw or a bug it’s game over. Period. I stand by Apple to ensure this never happens and I don’t even own an Apple phone!