Confide is an encrypted instant messaging application for most major operating systems. It was first released in 2013, on
iOS
Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
, and is known for its self-destructing messaging system that deletes messages immediately after reading. The platform offers both free and paid features for individuals and businesses.
In 2017, the news outlet
Axios
Axios commonly refers to:
* Axios (river), a river that runs through Greece and North Macedonia
* ''Axios'' (website), an American news and information website
Axios may also refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Axios, a brand of suspension produ ...
reported that it had gained popularity among, “numerous senior GOP operatives and several members of the
Trump administration.” After receiving more media attention, there were concerns about the security of the app, as it is closed source and an independent review by Kudelski Security indicated it may use an older, less secure version of
OpenSSL
OpenSSL is a software library for applications that provide secure communications over computer networks against eavesdropping, and identify the party at the other end. It is widely used by Internet servers, including the majority of HTTPS web ...
. The app's first full security audit found multiple critical vulnerabilities including impersonating another user by hijacking an account session or by guessing a password, learning the contact details of Confide users, becoming an intermediary in a conversation and decrypting messages, and potentially altering the contents of a message or attachment in transit without first decrypting it. WIRED reported that the encryption in Confide was based on the "
PGP standard," and used
Transport Layer Security
Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide communications security over a computer network, such as the Internet. The protocol is widely used in applications such as email, instant messaging, and voice over ...
.
In January 2018, Confide, Inc. developers announced their newly developed ScreenShieldKit SDK (Software Development Kit) which was originally intended only for the Confide application. The API allows developers to incorporate the same screenshot-proof functionality of Confide into their own applications by simply importing the SDK replacing UITextView and UIImageView – two commonly used iOS development components used to display data to end users. The SDK prevents screenshots by blanking out the data and supports protection from a variety of capture methods including screenshots, screen recordings, screen mirrorings, and even screenshots from Apple's Xcode (the main development platform for iOS).
Confide was referred to as an application that was used during communications between an accuser and the then Governor of New York
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...
during
a scandal in 2021.
See also
*
Comparison of instant messaging clients
*
Signal
A signal is both the process and the result of transmission of data over some media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processing, information theory and biology.
In ...
*
Wire
file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
References
External links
*
Cryptographic software
Secure communication
IOS software
Internet privacy software
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