![\"blackphone\"](\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2014\/08\/05093503\/blackphone.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSilent Circle\u2019s Android-based Blackphone is designed to block attacks of all kinds, including \u2013 and this is its biggest sales pitch \u2013 snoopers from the NSA.<\/p>\n
According to World Tech Today\u00a0<\/a>, the Blackphone was spawned directly from Edward Snowden\u2019s revelations about the NSA\u2019s massive domestic surveillance program that has free-ranging abilities to monitor cellphone calls and data transmissions.<\/p> Smart Circle\u2019s Blackphone offers total security, limited usability.<\/p>Tweet<\/a><\/blockquote>\n The backbone of the Blackphone\u2019s security system is its Android-based PrivatOS platform, and its Silent Phone and Silent Text apps. These are encrypted communications services with a common directory service. They work over broadband cellular and Wi-Fi connections, and provide users with voice and video calls, as well as text messaging and data transfer without relying on a server \u2013 that can be vulnerable to data poaching \u2013 in the middle of those communications. The PrivOS platform also includes fine-grained permissions controls.<\/p>\n At $629 retail, the Blackphone would do well to live up to its own lofty standards, and an initial review by Ars Technica\u00a0<\/a>backs up the Blackphone\u2019s security credibility. Their assessment? \u201cBlackphone is pretty damn secure.\u201d<\/p>\n So, initial returns are that the Blackphone is secure, but how does it work in day-to-day smartphone operations?<\/p>\n Because the phone relies on whatever phone networks are available in any given area, call and video call qualities can suffer, according to Ars Technica. And because the Google ecosystem is unavailable on the device \u2013 include Google Play and all apps associated therein \u2013 users will have to sideload third-party apps; Ars Technica notes that Amazon Store apps work well on the device.<\/p>\n But this sideloading could provide create a malware vulnerability for this otherwise secure device, so users are well-advised by Kaspersky experts to user a mobile AV platform on their Blackphone, should they choose to part with the better part of $1,000 to secure their mobile communications privacy.<\/p>