Android Gets Full-Disk Encryption

Whisper Systems has released what it calls an enterprise-grade full-disk encryption system for Android handsets, intended to offer Android users a feature already available on BlackBerry and Symbian devices.

The first beta of WhisperCore, released on Tuesday, encrypts the entire data partition at the device level by default, according to Whisper. It can optionally encrypt the device’s SD card as well.

AES encryption

The product is designed to provide “the security and management features necessary for transforming a consumer phone into an enterprise-class device”, Whisper said in a statement.

The first beta is available only for the Nexus S, with support for more devices coming soon, Whisper said. It is free for individuals to use, with commercial pricing based on the size of the deployment.

The software allows the user to set a passphrase which is then used to generate a key that encrypts the disk. It uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys in XTS mode, the same protocol used in PC encryption tools such as TrueCrypt or Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS), according to the company.

WhisperCore is designed to be an improvement over the remote wipe features offered on some devices. Erased data can still be recovered by specialised tools, while encrypted data is not accessible without the passphrase according to the company.

Egyptian encryption

Whisper also offers software such as TextSecure, which encrypts text messages, and RedPhone, which provides end-to-end encryption for IP phone calls.

In February, Whisper released versions of these two products tailored for the Egyptian market, to allow citizens to communicate securely during the political unrest.

“When the protests started in Egypt, we stepped up our efforts to get it working there,” said a white-hat hacker and Whisper spokesman who works under the alias Moxie Marlinspike, at the time. “Now we’re ready to release and hopefully enable some pro-democracy advocates to communicate and co-ordinate without being surveilled.”