Lavabit CEO Ladar Levison had custody of the service's SSL encryption key that could convey helped the authorities obtain Snowden's password. Although the FBI insisted it was entirely afterwards Snowden's account, that was the key to the kingdom that would convey helped the FBI agents obtain other users’ credentials equally well.
But rather than complying amongst the federal asking that could compromise the communications of all of its customers, Levison preferred to near downward his encrypted e-mail service, leaving its 410,000 users unable to access their e-mail accounts.
Now, Levison has announced that he is reviving Lavabit amongst a novel architecture that fixes the SSL employment — which according to him, was the biggest threat — too includes other privacy-enhancing features that volition aid its users ship emails that he can't eavesdrop, fifty-fifty if ordered to produce so.
Levison is releasing the root code for an open-source end-to-end encrypted global e-mail criterion that promises surveillance-proof messaging that fifty-fifty hides the metadata on emails to foreclose agencies similar the NSA or FBI from beingness able to uncovering out amongst whom Lavabit users communicate.
Dubbed Dark Internet Mail Environment (DIME), the criterion volition live on available on Github today, along amongst an associated post service server programme called Magma, which is ready for purpose amongst the Dark Internet Mail Environment.
"DIME is the entirely automated, federated, encryption criterion designed to function amongst unlike service providers acre minimizing the leakage of metadata without a centralized authority," Levison said inward a blog post.
"By encrypting all facets of an e-mail transmission (body, metadata, too carry layer), DIME guarantees the safety of users too the to the lowest degree sum of information leakage possible."According to Levison, Magma server is designed to offering an easy-to-use application too thus that fifty-fifty non-technical users amongst existing e-mail clients tin sack purpose Lavabit encrypted e-mail service amongst ease.
DIME criterion includes a ‘Trustful’ encryption mode, which requires users to trust the server to grapple the encryption too their keys.
"The server performs the encryption on your behalf, too equally such, y'all must trust that the server volition non live on rewritten inward such a way that it captures your password, or peeks at your messages during processing," Levison said.Also, the DIME likewise offers Cautious Mode too Paranoid Mode for users who desire absolute command over their encryption keys, too thus that their keys never transmits anywhere. Paranoid way Lavabit volition never shop a user’s mortal keys on its server.
Initially, the novel Lavabit service volition entirely live on accessible to its existing customers too entirely inward Trustful mode.
However, if y'all were non LAvabit client inward the yesteryear earlier the service near down, y'all tin sack pre-register too await for the eventual rollout.
