Snapshield Intros Encrypted Phone Call Service
Snapshield, formerly known as Microlink, an Israeli company, has
developed a phone encryption technology that it says is almost
unbreakable.
The firm has teamed with Bezeq, the Israeli telecommunications
carrier, to offer the service to end users.
Bezeq is running its system on a Snapshield secure network access
platform, an IT security system that encrypts voice and fax
communications.
Following commercial pretests on the system in recent months, Bezeq
said it is connecting around 300 public switched telephone network
(PSTN) business users to the service, at a cost of $13.00 a month per
line.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Snapshield system is that
it supports point-to-multipoint security, with all incoming and
outgoing calls on the subscriber's phone line being encrypted.
Previously, the firm said, the only encryption available was
point-to-point, which offered limited effectiveness as it requires
the use of costly devices at both ends.
Bezeq is initially targeting its new voice communications service to
large business such as banks, institutions and industrial companies,
as well as to small offices and individual subscribers who want to
secure their communications over the PSTN.
Pnina Senhav, Bezeq's vice president of marketing, said that the call
encryption service gives customers peace of mind as their phone calls
will be protected with a high level of security that was previously
only available to military intelligence and other specialized
governmental bodies.
Once subscribed to the Snapshield service on the Bezeq telephone
network in Israel, users receive a free terminal which sits between
the phone line and their phone plus fax equipment. All calls in and
out are routed via an encryption center and are sent on from there to
the receiving party.
Snapshield said that its secure network access platform is also being
trialed by Snapcom in Italy, by TPSA, the former state telco in
Poland, and by Compugraf in Brazil.
Snapshield's Web site is at http://www.snapshield.com.