Privoro Launches the First Smartphone Case to Enable Trusted Services Around Off-the-Shelf Mobile Devices

CHANDLER, Ariz., Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Privoro – a mobile security startup focused on hardware-based solutions – announced the launch of the SafeCase. Currently available for the iPhone 7 and 8, the SafeCase is designed as a convenient smartphone case that provides intelligent mobile protections rooted in high-security hardware.

An emerging series of vulnerabilities within the chipset at the core of smartphones – from firmware bugs like QuadRooter to speculative execution flaws impacting major chip vendors such as Intel, AMD and others – add up to what Privoro calls the "mobile hardware security gap." Because of the difficulty of detecting and remediating these chip-based vulnerabilities, the gap is poised to overwhelm existing software-only security models. In launching the SafeCase, Privoro seeks to close the mobile hardware security gap.

An external, high-security source of trust, SafeCase surrounds – but is functionally independent of – a user's mobile device. The case's features – like its hardware root of trust, specialized, closed-system security architecture and integrated administrative control – insulate it from the vulnerable mobile ecosystem. Enterprises and government agencies can utilize the SafeCase for mobile protections without having to depend on the smartphone, putting them back in control of their most important information.

While SafeCase can be used by organizations for a variety of use cases, counter-surveillance protection is a core functionality. The case allows users to selectively block the smartphone's cameras and actively jam each of the microphones with true random noise. Privoro believes that only physical, external, verifiable protections can overcome the threat of hijacked smartphone sensors targeting national security agencies, publicly traded companies and high-profile individuals.

"In today's ultra-connected, sensor-driven world, surveillance and espionage remain two of the greatest challenges keeping security leaders up at night," said Mike Fong, founder and CEO of Privoro. "Top government agencies and Fortune 500 companies are leveraging the SafeCase to take control of when and how they allow access to critical information, improve 7x24 operational security and safeguard sensitive conversations."

Privoro is backed by multiple high-profile investors, including Cisco veterans John Chambers, former CEO and Executive Chairman, and Pankaj Patel, former EVP and Chief Development Officer. Jim McGuire, former EVP and Chief Information Officer for The Charles Schwab Corporation has also invested in the company.

"In the Digital Age, cybersecurity threats are evolving at an exponential pace as hackers and cybercriminals expose vulnerabilities in your device's hardware and software," said John Chambers, founder and CEO of purpose-driven firm JC2 Ventures and chairman emeritus of Cisco Systems. "Smartphones are ubiquitous, but they are also inherently insecure. That's why Privoro's new SafeCase product is crucial for businesses and governments around the globe who are looking to ensure their most private conversations and sensitive information stay secure."

Key benefits of the Privoro SafeCase include:

• Protection from smartphone vulnerabilities: SafeCase is built with high-security hardware that's isolated from the user's smartphone.
• Protection from compromised smartphone sensors: SafeCase utilizes verifiable, physical protections against hijacked cameras and microphones.
• Protection from insider threats: SafeCase includes a secure cloud component that actively monitors for policy compliance.
• Extending features and services: In addition, SafeCase has processing, sensing and communication capabilities that serve as building blocks for the development of additional features and services, both via the SafeCase itself or through hardware backpacks.

For more details on Privoro and the SafeCase, visit: www.Privoro.com.

About Privoro
Privoro was founded on the belief that it is unacceptable to compromise security and privacy to participate in today's ultra-connected, sensor-driven world. As a security startup, Privoro is committed to enabling businesses, governments and individuals to trust their digital devices and take control of when they allow access to their most important and sensitive information. Mobile devices are a growing part of any risk management program, and as the misuse of microphones, cameras and other sensors grows, Privoro's solutions provide a new level of protection and assurance for the most sensitive and targeted organizations and individuals in the world.

SOURCE Privoro