Sikur, a Brazilian software company, has been aggressively promoting the idea of specialised mobile devices for organisations and governments with higher-than-average security concerns. In 2015, it debuted the GranitePhone, a smartphone running a hardened version of Android. With GranitePhone, you are sure of;
- encrypted cloud storage,
- encrypted calls,
- encrypted messages,
- encrypted everything
Three years later, the company introduced the SikurPhone, which offers the same supposedly “impenetrable security”, but with an updated interface and the ability to seamlessly store cryptos on Sikur’s secure cloud.
The company is now showing off a new security hardened and “certified” Android handset called the Sikur One on the last day of the Mobile World Congress 2022 edition.
According to TechTheLead, “The Sikur One uses a system called Sikur ID, which lets people authenticate password-les using a token, which can prevent the usual type of phishing and malware attacks.”
“The phone can be lost or wiped remotely, with backups done from the cloud, which makes sense, since it was designed with corporate and government use in mind.”
Over-the-air (OTA) patching ensures the phone is always up to date rather than requiring users to manually push updates, potentially exposing security flaws.
For preventing phishing and malware attacks, Sikur touts a “password-less authentication token function.” Default network settings are also modified for security. For unprotected Wi-Fi, you receive Sikur’s secure VPN.
As expected, the device will come with remote lock and wipe. Its default messaging app is Sikur Messenger. For file storage and sharing, the company’s end-to-end encrypted messaging app stores data in a secure private cloud.
Granted, this degree of security will only be available within the Sikur Messenger micro-network, so only employees with the program on their devices can participate. Also, the company’s mobile hardware isn’t required to access the IM software.
The Sikur One features a 6.5′′ screen, an octa-core processor, Android 11, and a 4,000 mAh battery. It has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, but no 5G. (an expansion slot supports adding up to 512GB).
Sikur claims the handset is “fully configured and ready to use” and has “the same usability as a conventional device” despite cutting out some basic apps.
The phone was co-manufactured by Multilaser, an electronics company also based in Brazil.
Early sales will begin this week, and Sikur says it’s customers are “large businesses and government organisations” in Latin America, the United States, Europe and Middle East.
