'Ricochet', the Messenger That Beats Metadata, Passes Security Audit | Hacker News Reader

'Ricochet', the Messenger That Beats Metadata, Passes Security Audit

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120 pointsLeoPanthera13 comments

Jesse Hertz, one of the authors of the audit report and presumably the lead of the project, is fantastic. But this is an extremely silly story. Random messaging apps have security audits like these all the time. What does it mean to "pass" one? I don't know, and I cofounded the team Jesse works for!

The more interesting story here is about OTF. OTF is an offshoot of Radio Free Asia and is funded directly by Congress. For the past 5 years or so, they've been funding audits of all the open source crypto applications, from Signal to Cryptocat (don't use Cryptocat).

I'm surprised I don't hear nice things about OTF more often. They're doing more to improve consumer crypto security than a lot of other organizations.

Have you never been paid to 'audit' the code and/or architecture of a company's operations? It's not my forte, but I assumed some process of the sort was occurring.

Anyway, beyond OTF, do you have any opinion on Ricochet (the project theoretically under discussion), it seems to be a project with admirable goals and an interesting take (though I'm not interested in 'real-time' messaging):

https://github.com/ricochet-im/ricochet

I'll repeat what I've said previously which is I'm still hoping for an app that combines the features of Ricochet, Signal and Burner with multi platform support.

That would be my dream app.

And one that doesn't use my phone number as a user name.

And doesn't send metadata by Googles/any other corporation networks.

Who else builds networks?

I believe that it could theoretically be built as a Decentralized Application using the Ethereum platform.

Disclaimer: I own Bitcoin and Monero. I do not currently own any Ethereum, and have no vested interest in its success.

How does ethereum run without AT&T, Deuthche, NTT, Telefonica, Verizon, etc.

You're always on someone else's network.

tox

Ricochet does not use your phone number.

Burner allows you to reset your number (or id in this case) anytime or have multiple at one time.

Point being that this unicorn app that I'm hoping for would have these features.

It may pass security audit, but Tor hidden services haven't proven to be a highly secure system and the Tor Project itself wants to overhaul it.

Does Apple allow software that uses Tor on the App Store?

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onion-browser/id519296448?mt...

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