Web developer Daniel Levy has created a device that allows text messages to be sent without the need of cell service, providing a chance for privacy advocates to communicate off the grid.
The gadget, called GoTenna, was conceived after Levy, who lives in the Puna District of Hawaii, experienced a 12-day blackout caused by a hurricane earlier this summer. Many residents in the community were left without power until the grid was restored by the local utility company, according to CNET. There is little to no reliable cell service in Levy's neighborhood.
The accessory comes in the form of a Bluetooth-enabled rod, and was originally targeted toward use for outdoor settings and emergency situations before getting the attention of people involved in cryptography. GoTenna became available for pre-order in July, with 25 percent of pre-orders having paid for the device with the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
Levy currently runs a social network called WebOfTrust.net that he plans to combine with GoTenna's application programming interface (API) to connect the gadget to his software program, CNET reported.
"With GoTenna, we can create our own, decentralized mesh network that we own, and be in control of the data that we create," he said.
Levy added that he wouldn't have bought the device if he couldn't use Bitcoin to pay for it, or if the gadget's communication lines had not been end-to-end encrypted and the messages never stored.
"If it proves to be useful, I would like to encourage my community to start utilizing these devices."
The gadget is sold in pairs and lets users combine it with their smartphones to send text messages and location data through the app to other users. GoTenna said public-private key encryption is used to make sure the messages are end-to-end encrypted. The technique is also used to make sure e-commerce transactions made over the Internet are protected, CNET reported.
An advanced cryptographic algorithm called elliptic curve encryption is used in GoTenna and can be safer than RSA and other standard methods of encryption. GoTenna's protection was strengthened with the addition of two-factor identification so that only those that are able to access the device associated with their phone number can use GoTenna to receive and send messages. Public keys are used to encrypt messages and private keys are used to translate them when the user receives them.
Jorge Perdomo, co-founder of GoTenna, said the method gives users the chance to have their own set of key ciphers, which is important because if one GoTenna is hacked, other devices could avoid vulnerabilities, CNET reported.
"In a way, even our encryption could be said to be decentralized," Perdomo said.
GoTenna plans to begin shipping its off-the-grid communication device to customers this fall.
