Your Cell Phone Isn't The Trusted Member Of The Family You Think It Is.

We treat our cell phones like trusted members of the family. We carry them with us wherever we go. We have private meetings within ear shot of them and in front of their cameras. We share our most intimate moments in the presence of them and most people never give it a second thought. However someone else may be using that very same device to monitor every facet of your life without your knowledge or consent.

The 1996 telecommunications act mandated that backdoors be built into your devices before they leave the factory as part of E-911 compliance with additional access granted through maintenance backdoors commonly used by the carriers themselves. In short every single cellular phone sold in the United States since the early 2000’s is already compromised before you receive it. These backdoors allow undetectable access to every feature on your phone including the microphone, camera, GPS, text messages and stored information.

While the thought of “Big Brother” using this technology is frightening enough, there are inexpensive spy ware packages available over the internet that can grant anyone the same level of access. Once your device is compromised the unauthorized party can use your microphone and camera to monitor your activities. They can use the GPS to track your every movement and pinpoint your location. They can access your text, email, stored banking information and even use Near Field Communication enabled cell phones to communicate with nearby devices including wireless enabled credit cards.

So what can you do about it?

The ‘obvious’ solution at first glance is to just shut your phone off and problem solved. However in 2008 Joel Brenner, the former Inspector General of the National Security Agency went on the record with CBS news to warn owners of cellular phones and wireless devices that unauthorized parties can “turn your phone on when you think it’s off and activate it’s microphone to monitor your activities”. In short, your phone is never really “off”.

What about “airplane mode”? The same literature that says your power button turns your phone “off” also says that “airplane mode” stops your phone from “broadcasting”. However, it does not prevent it from receiving signals; like “turn on the microphone” “turn on the camera” “what are your current GPS coordinates” and all without lighting up or letting you know in any way that it’s happening.

The bottom line here is, as long as your device is able to send and receive signals it can be tracked and remotely compromised. So the only truly reliable way to prevent your device from being used against you in real time is to physically isolate it from ANY network; I.E.. take it off the grid until you need it.

There are very few reliable options to make this possible, but a Chicago based company called Caged Ideas has developed a solution that really works. Utilizing materials commonly used by the aerospace and defense industries they have developed a case slightly larger than your wireless device which reliably isolates your device from the outside world.

The “Privacy Case” is not just armor for your phone; it’s your privacy shield. According to the companies CEO, numerous investors have said that the product is “a great idea, but no body cares about privacy anymore”. In response to this the company has started a crowd-funding campaign on the website Indiegogo.com to show the public does care about their privacy. They are looking to raise enough money to bring the product they are calling the “Privacy Case” to market at the price of the common cell phone case.

So the real question is, does privacy matter to you? Help these guys prove that privacy does matter. Visit WWW.PRIVACYCASE.COM for more information.