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Encryption Privacy Security

US Wants Its Own Secure and Self-Destructing Messaging App -- And It's Willing to Pay (bloomberg.com) 83

Posted by msmash from the greenback-boogie dept.
Long time reader schwit1 writes: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency within the Department of Defense historically known for creating the Internet itself, has published a call for companies to submit proposals to build a robust messaging platform that the military could use for secure communication of everything from intelligence to procurement contracts. "Troops on the ground in denied communications environments would have a way to securely communicate back to HQ and DoD back office executives could rest assured that their logistics system is efficient, timely and safe from hackers," according to the DARPA proposal. The request for proposals, reported earlier by the UK's Telegraph outlet, also says that the messaging platform should incorporate a customized blockchain, the distributed ledger technology that underpins the digital currency bitcoin, for recording messages and contract information. The proposal says such a distributed ledger would allow the military to conduct its business in a more efficient and secure fashion.Motherboard's Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai reports that DARPA is willing to pay people to make this app. "This project falls under the rules of the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. During the first phase, according to the program's rules, successful applicants might be awarded no more than $150,000 for one year. The companies and researchers who are part of phase one can then be eligible for a phase two award of up to $1 million for two years. Lastly, during phase three, the company or companies can pursue commercialization, and receive no funds from the federal government."
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US Wants Its Own Secure and Self-Destructing Messaging App -- And It's Willing to Pay More

US Wants Its Own Secure and Self-Destructing Messaging App -- And It's Willing to Pay

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  • So basically a government Kickstarter?

  • Bug how will the NSA be able to monitor all the potential terrorists (= civilians)?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by drpimp ( 900837 )
      Considering the RFP suggests its US government use, I don't think your tongue in cheek comment is relevant. Besides you already are implying the NSA is doing as you say ... so yeah!
      • From TFA:

        "The advantages of this decentralized structure is that it would be more resilient, and there would be no centralized server where a spy or hacker could gather metadata, according to Frederic Jacobs, an independent security researcher who has worked as a developer for the encryption messaging app Signal."

        Reading further:

        "The third and last will “focus on commercialization and full-scale implementation,” so DARPA wants this to be out in the open, for everyone to use, eventually."

  • FBI Wants p0wn Secure and Self-Destructing Messaging App -- And It's Willing to Pay

    Talk about the left hand trying to chop off the right hand.

  • n/t

  • Translation: free of public oversight and the threat of whistle blowers exposing corruption [reuters.com]

  • Blockchain = LMAO (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Sure, let's create a messaging protocol that burns electricity like nobody's business and creates a gigantic file that needs downloading before anything works. Great job, kids!

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by dgatwood ( 11270 )

      The entire concept is nonsensical. It's a fairly fundamental truth that information cannot be destroyed. Self-destructing messages are basically the same problem as DRM; you have the data, you have a key, you're allowed to use the data to unlock the key, but only under somebody else's terms. If you trust the endpoint to be absolutely secure against tampering, the problem is trivial, but you don't need anything more than a simple "ask the server whether the data should be wiped before showing it" mechani

      • Agreed it sounds trivial. That's why they are only spending up to a million for it. This is a little project and yes, I believe that they can secure their access terminals. They just need the program made to do it all.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Megol ( 3135005 )

      How do you suggest one should go about to burn electricity? Electric charges doesn't readily oxidize...

    • Proof-of-stake and light clients render those concerns moot, you're behind the times

  • So they want a messaging system and it must use a blockchain and it must allow messages to be deleted?

    They're going to have a hard time.

    • Pretty much. "Self-destructing" and "blockchain" don't go together.

      • "Self-destructing" and "blockchain" don't go together.

        As in "Self-destructing" and "blockchain" are complete opposites.

        Fixed it so that when the people at DARPA read your comment, they really understand their idiocy.

        • Thanks, my cognitive dissonance was getting in the way when I first read the article. If they are asking for mutually exclusive components are they really asking for anything? Or, is this a fishing trip to see if they can get a new perspective on something?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Megol ( 3135005 )

        Destroy the one-time-pad, destroy the message.

        • How are you generating, distributing, and storing the one-time pads?
          If you're doing it inside the blockchain, then lol.
          If you're doing it outside the blockchain, then the blockchain piece of the project is pointless, as all security has to cover the generation, distribution, and storage of the one-time pads.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by KGIII ( 973947 )

            You're probably not the best person to ask but I'll try it. Is it possible for the blockchain to be stored in a central repository where it's then trimmed and only certain devices get access to certain segments, in real time?

            That would do nothing for the analog hole or interception, some of those can be reduced in risk levels.

    • They're going to have a hard time.

      It's a DARPA project. It should be really, really hard.

    • Could have a self-destructing private key, that way the data is not accessible. Possible tag that public key as destroyed so it won't sync in future blockchains.

  • the US could stop invading countries! (it's also much cheaper!)

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by cdrudge ( 68377 )

      But it could work for within the US borders as well. All levels of government could benefit from a messaging system that was secure against against snooping investigations and other government oversight, but also to securely be deleted should those investigations progress and journalists or the public in general.

    • That would be a tacit admission that Michael Moore was right. No government would allow such a conclusion, not whilst there are still countries operating free of US meddling.

  • No, but yes. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by jxander ( 2605655 ) on Monday April 25, 2016 @01:47PM (#51984443)
    "You must make weaker encryption so law enforcement can do it's job... hey, can you make some nice strong encryption for us? The military needs that to do its job."

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Well, to be fair, those aren't mutually exclusive positions.

      Law enforcement has a need to find out what people said and to whom as part of determining who the guilty part is in a criminal investigation, and the military has a need to communicate without the enemy hearing it as part of conducting combat operations.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Macdude ( 23507 )

        You're phrasing it wrong...

        The government needs to find out what the people are doing to identify those individuals who are violating societal rules.

        The people need to find out what the government is doing to identify those individuals in government who are violating their positions.

        It's exactly the same thing, the only difference is who are the watchers and who are the watched.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      This is exactly what I don't understand....

      Just earlier today, there was a discussion about how the NSA was complaining about Snowden's actions are speeding up the adaption of encryption. https://yro.slashdot.org/story... [slashdot.org]

      The NSA would seemingly rather have weak encryption to catch violent terrorists while simultaneously making it easier for financial terrorists to thrive with weak encryption protections.

      Now we've got the DARPA branch of the DoD basically taking Swowden's stance by encouraging private indu

  • this message will self destruct in 5 seconds

  • A solid diamond pony and I'm going to sit here with my five dollars until someone makes me one.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Just use iPhones and other iToys. Im' sure bought in bulk they can get 'em for 50Â per unit.

    They're so well encrypted the government is on a whaaaambulance about it, no?

    Well, fucking put your money where your noise-hole is, and use that very same uncrackable* technology the turrrirrrists are using! **

    * /. readers know there's no such thing as uncrackable

    **./ readers know so far nothing super cray-cray incriminating has been found on that San Berdnadino phone. I'm sure it was helpful for parallel cons

  • Who would actually do this? You *may* be awarded *up to* 150k? Then, maybe, possibly up to $1M for two years. Who kind of crazy person would take that gamble? Your first year costs might barely be covered, then you might have a chance to win in the "make a modest profit" lottery!? Do these figures seem crazy to anyone else, or have I lived in San Francisco too long?

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