Encryption Comes Calling on Mobile Phone

Relax--you don't have to worry about eavesdroppers anymore. Talking on your mobile phone could be more secure than ever, with a specially modified phone that encrypts conversations.

Now available worldwide, the TopSec GSM phone offers business executives, government officials, and law enforcement officers the ability to talk via a secure connection even while on the move. The company is marketing it at a list price of $2742.

Based on Siemens's popular S35i GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) handset, the phone is modified with a so-called "crypto-chip," according to spokesperson Stefan Böttinger of the German communications security company Rohde & Schwarz.

Two Types of Encryption

The device uses a combination of asymmetric 1024-bit and symmetric 128-bit encryption for a high level of security, Böttinger says.

After dialing a number, a user simply presses a button labeled "crypto" to establish a secure connection. The other party to the call must also be using a TopSec GSM phone or a similarly equipped fixed-line device such as Rohde & Schwarz's ELCRODAT 6-2 ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) phone.

Rohde & Schwarz began marketing the devices after acquiring the hardware cryptology segment of Siemens's Information & Communication Mobile division on May 1.

Like the ordinary S35i, the TopSec GSM is a dual-band phone, operating on both the 900- and 1800-MHz frequencies, which makes it functional anywhere GSM service is available, says Böttinger.

Rohde & Schwarz is targeting "middle- and higher-level management" and government users as potential customers, Böttinger says.

Who Needs It?

At least one analyst is skeptical about the demand for encrypted mobile phones.

"I'm not really sure I understand why for voice calls you would need additional encryption," says Michelle de Lussanet, an analyst with Forrester Research, pointing out that the GSM standard includes a built-in encryption protocol.

Furthermore, she says, "There are requirements on network operators that they have to make it possible for police to listen in on phone calls" when there is suspicion of criminal activity.

Indeed, Böttinger says, there are legal restrictions on using encrypted phones in some countries. "With the mobile phone we deliver a list of those countries, for customers to check whether they can use it or not." He could not say how many or which countries are included in the list, however.