Whisper Systems

{{distinguish|text=Open Whisper Systems, the open-source software group that started Signal, or Whisper, a product of WhisperText LLC}}

{{short description|American enterprise mobile security company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Whisper Systems

| founders = {{Plain list |

Moxie Marlinspike
Stuart Anderson

}}

| location_city = San Francisco, California

| location_country = U.S.

| founded = 2010

| fate = Acquired by Twitter

| defunct = {{end date|2011|11|28}}

| industry = Encryption software, Mobile software, Mobile security

| website = {{URL|http://www.whispersys.com/}}
See {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117185856/http://www.whispersys.com/ |date=17 January 2013 }}

}}

Whisper Systems was an American enterprise mobile security company that was co-founded by security researcher Moxie Marlinspike and roboticist Stuart Anderson in 2010.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-14 |title=Twitter Open Sources Its Android Moxie {{!}} WIRED |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314171125/https://www.wired.com/2011/12/twitter-open-sources-its-android-moxie/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=web.archive.org}} The company was acquired by Twitter in November 2011.{{cite web|date=November 28, 2011 | author=Tom Cheredar |url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/11/28/twitter-buys-whisper-systems/ |title=Twitter acquires Android security startup Whisper Systems |publisher=VentureBeat |access-date=2011-12-21}}{{cite web |url=https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2011/11/28/twitter-acquires-mobile-data-security-gurus-whisper-systems/ |title=Twitter acquires mobile data security gurus Whisper Systems |author=Brad McCarty |date= 28 November 2011 |access-date= 16 January 2015}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.scmagazine.com/saudi-telco-asks-researcher-moxie-marlinspike-to-help-it-spy-on-residents/article/543558/|title=Saudi telco asks researcher Moxie Marlinspike to help it spy on residents|date=2013-05-13|work=SC Media US|access-date=2018-06-18|language=en}} Some of the company's software products were released under open-source licenses after the acquisition. An independent group called Open Whisper Systems later picked up the development of this open-source software, which led to the creation of the Signal Technology Foundation.

History

Security researcher Moxie Marlinspike and roboticist Stuart Anderson co-founded Whisper Systems in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=141104009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140304095526/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=141104009|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 4, 2014|title=Company Overview of Whisper Systems Inc. |publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek |access-date=2014-03-04}}{{cite news|last=Garling |first=Caleb |url=https://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2011/12/twitter-open-sources-its-android-moxie/ |title=Twitter Open Sources Its Android Moxie | Wired Enterprise |publisher=Wired.com |date= 2011-12-20|access-date=2011-12-21}} The company produced proprietary enterprise mobile security software. Among these were an encrypted texting program called TextSecure and an encrypted voice calling app called RedPhone.{{cite news|author=Andy Greenberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/firewall/2010/05/25/android-app-aims-to-allow-wiretap-proof-cell-phone-calls/ |title=Android App Aims to Allow Wiretap-Proof Cell Phone Calls |work=Forbes |date=2010-05-25 |access-date=2014-02-28}} They also developed a firewall and tools for encrypting other forms of data.{{cite web|url=http://www.techburrp.com/technology/secure-your-android-mobile-use-whisper-systems-free-security-app-whispercore/ |title=Secure your Android mobile – Use Whisper Systems free security app Whispercore « Technology updates by Techburrp |publisher=Techburrp.com |access-date=2011-12-21}}

On November 28, 2011, Whisper Systems announced that it had been acquired by Twitter. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by either company. The acquisition was done "primarily so that Mr. Marlinspike could help the then-startup improve its security".{{cite news|last1=Yadron|first1=Danny|title=Moxie Marlinspike: The Coder Who Encrypted Your Texts|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/moxie-marlinspike-the-coder-who-encrypted-your-texts-1436486274|access-date=10 July 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=9 July 2015}} Shortly after the acquisition, Whisper Systems' RedPhone service was made unavailable. Some criticized the removal, arguing that the software was "specifically targeted [to help] people under repressive regimes" and that it left people like the Egyptians in "a dangerous position" during the events of the 2011 Egyptian revolution.

Twitter released TextSecure as free and open-source software under the GPLv3 license in December 2011. RedPhone was also released under the same license in July 2012.

Marlinspike later left Twitter and founded Open Whisper Systems as a collaborative Open Source project for the continued development of TextSecure and RedPhone.{{cite web| url=https://www.wired.com/2014/07/free-encrypted-calling-finally-comes-to-the-iphone/ |title=Your iPhone Can Finally Make Free, Encrypted Calls |publisher= Wired |author= Andy Greenberg |date= 29 July 2014 |access-date= 18 January 2015}} Open Whisper Systems consisted of a large community of volunteer Open Source contributors, as well as a small team of dedicated grant-funded developers. In November 2015, Open Whisper Systems merged TextSecure with RedPhone and renamed it as Signal.{{cite web|author=Marlinspike, Moxie|url=https://whispersystems.org/blog/just-signal/|title=Just Signal|date=2 November 2015|publisher=Open Whisper Systems|access-date=5 November 2015}} In 2018, Signal Messenger was incorporated as an LLC by Moxie Marlinspike and Brian Acton and then rolled under the independent non-profit Signal Technology Foundation. Today, the Signal app is developed by Signal Messenger LLC, which is funded by the Signal Foundation.{{cite web|last1=Marlinspike|first1=Moxie|last2=Acton|first2=Brian|title=Signal Foundation|url=https://signal.org/blog/signal-foundation/|website=Signal.org|access-date=21 February 2018|date=21 February 2018|archive-date=16 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216021349/https://signal.org/blog/signal-foundation/|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Signal Technology Foundation |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/824506840 |website=Nonprofit Explorer |date=9 May 2013 |publisher=Pro Publica Inc. |access-date=7 June 2019 |archive-date=9 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109161310/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/824506840 |url-status=live }} The foundation has stated publicly that they are not tied to any major technology companies and "can never be acquired by one either."{{Cite tweet |author=Signal Technology Foundation |author-link=Signal Technology Foundation |user=signalapp |number=1347524902396456961 |date=8 January 2021 |title=We are a 501c3 nonprofit. We're not tied to any major tech companies, and we can never be acquired by one either. Development is supported by grants and donations from Signal users. |access-date= 24 January 2021}}

Products

Whisper Systems' products were all made for Android and included:{{cite web|title=Mobile Security For Android|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104060347/http://whispersys.com/index.html|url=http://whispersys.com/index.html|publisher=Whisper Systems|access-date=9 December 2015|archive-date=4 January 2012}}

TextSecure: An app that allowed the user to exchange end-to-end encrypted SMS messages with other TextSecure users.
RedPhone: An app that allowed the user to make end-to-end encrypted VoIP calls to other RedPhone users.
Flashback: An app that allowed the user to store encrypted backups of their device in the cloud.{{cite web|title=Encrypted backups for Android|url=http://www.whispersys.com/flashback.html|publisher=Whisper Systems|access-date=9 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229054311/http://www.whispersys.com/flashback.html|archive-date=29 December 2011}}
WhisperCore: An app that integrated with the underlying Android OS to protect everything the user kept on their phone. The initial beta featured full disk encryption, network security tools, encrypted backup, selective permissions, and basic platform management tools for Nexus S and Nexus One phones.
WhisperMonitor: An app that worked with WhisperCore to provide a software firewall capable of dynamic egress filtering and real-time connection monitoring, giving the user control over where their data was going and what their apps were doing.{{cite web|title=Network security for Android|url=http://www.whispersys.com/whispermonitor.html|publisher=Whisper Systems|access-date=9 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115193420/http://www.whispersys.com/whispermonitor.html|archive-date=15 January 2012}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news |url=http://mashable.com/2011/12/20/textsecure-open-source/ |author= Pete Pachal |title=Twitter Takes TextSecure, Texting App for Dissidents, Open Source |publisher=Mashable |date= 2011-12-20 |access-date=2014-03-01}}

{{cite web|date=November 28, 2011 | author=Tom Cheredar |url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/11/28/twitter-buys-whisper-systems/ |title=Twitter acquires Android security startup Whisper Systems |publisher=VentureBeat |access-date=2011-12-21}}

{{cite news|author=Andy Greenberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2011/11/28/twitter-acquires-moxie-marlinspikes-encryption-startup-whisper-systems/ |title=Twitter Acquires Moxie Marlinspike's Encryption Startup Whisper Systems |work=Forbes |date=2011-11-28 |access-date=2011-12-21}}

{{cite news|last=Garling |first=Caleb |url=https://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2011/11/twitter-buys-moxie/ |title=Twitter Buys Some Middle East Moxie | Wired Enterprise |publisher=Wired.com |date= 2011-11-28|access-date=2011-12-21}}

{{cite web |url=https://blog.twitter.com/2011/whispers-are-true |title= The Whispers Are True |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141024130437/https://blog.twitter.com/2011/whispers-are-true |archive-date= 24 October 2014 |date= 20 December 2011 |website=The Twitter Developer Blog |author=Chris Aniszczyk |publisher=Twitter |access-date=22 January 2015}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.whispersys.com/updates.html |title= TextSecure is now Open Source! |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120106024504/http://www.whispersys.com/updates.html |archive-date= 6 January 2012 |date= 20 December 2011 |publisher=Whisper Systems |access-date=22 January 2015}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.whispersys.com/updates.html |title= RedPhone is now Open Source! |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120731143138/http://www.whispersys.com/updates.html |archive-date= 31 July 2012 |date= 18 July 2012 |publisher=Whisper Systems |access-date=22 January 2015}}

{{cite news |url=https://whispersystems.org/blog/welcome/ |title=A New Home |publisher=Open Whisper Systems |date= 2013-01-21 |access-date=2014-03-01}}

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