Ciphr
Ciphr is a secure messaging company that produces encrypted phones.
In September 2021, after the closure of AN0M, Ciphr closed its operations in Australia.[1] A source told Vice magazine that the company had stopped operations in America, but provided no evidence.
The company provided the following apps running on Android software:
| App | Description |
|---|---|
| Ciphr Text | Instant-messaging app, encrypted end-to-end[1] |
| Ciphr Mail | Email app[1] |
| Ciphr Vault | Encrypted storage on device[1] |
The company was used heavily by criminal groups, in particular those who smuggled large amounts of illegal narcotics.[1]
A former distributor of Phantom Secure phones said of a meeting with Ciphr representatives: "I felt like I was in a mafia-esque situation during that meeting".[2][3]
In 2022, it changed its reseller business model.[2] The move was part of the attempt to clean-up its client base after a series law enforcement actions against similar companies that cater to the black market.[2] The new model shifted responsibility to resellers of its encryption technology.[2] The company later announced that it will cease operations after resellers refused to sell Ciphr's products due to the assumed legal liability.[4][2]
In 2023 OnyxCorp, the company behind the Ciphr app, announced the beta-test of an app called Mode, intended for enterprise applications.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cox, Joseph (2021-09-13). "Encrypted Phone Firm Ciphr, Used by Criminals, Moves to Cut Off Australia". Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/ciphr-encrypted-phone-shutdown-australia/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cox, Joseph (August 26, 2022). "Sellers for Encrypted Phone Firm Ciphr Locked Out of Orders" (in en). https://www.vice.com/en/article/ciphr-encrypted-phone-firm-resellers-locked-out-change-mdm/.
- ↑ Cox, Joseph (2020-10-22). "The Network: How a Secretive Phone Company Helped the Crime World Go Dark". https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-network-vincent-ramos-phantom-secure/.
- ↑ Fri, Sep 2nd 2022 10:47am-Tim Cushing (2022-09-02). "Encrypted Phone Provider Calls It Quits After Failing To Persuade Middlemen To Roll Their Own Device Management Systems" (in en-US). https://www.techdirt.com/2022/09/02/encrypted-phone-provider-calls-it-quits-after-failing-to-persuade-middlemen-to-roll-their-own-device-management-systems/.
- ↑ Cox, Joseph (2023-01-09). "Ciphr, Encrypted App That Served Organized Crime, Rebrands as Enterprise Software". https://www.vice.com/en/article/ciphr-app-rebrands-as-mode-onyxcorp/.
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