Xecure Message Service (XMS) is the backbone technology developed by NSS to enable end-to-end security in mobile text messaging. It ensures text messages in transmission and at rest are protected hence offering complete privacy with high-level of security for both businesses and personal.
XMS Technology
As a NSS proprietary application, XMS is arguably the first end-to-end secure SMS solution. It is essentially an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) based encryption solution that works on public-private keys generated by Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) whose key strengths can be selected as 128 bits, 192 bits or 256 bits.
XMS involves key pairing between users (peer-to-peer mode) or between customer and server, ensuring a secure pairing between any two persons or a person and a server. The Application on the phone is password protected and set by the user during installation, messages are encrypted and signed in the mobile handset and decrypted only at the point of termination (a recipient's mobile handset or server). Thus data at rest, as well as in transit remains encrypted.
XMS rides on the SMS protocol, using a mature, popular technology in a new and innovative business workflow. XMS assures the following:
- Confidentiality (Encrypted contents)
- Integrity (Hash value and digital signature)
- Non Repudiation (Digital signature)
XMS has bridged the only problem area of the workhorse SMS, by providing it business-ready security features. While GPRS and WAP are emerging technologies that will provide impetus to m Commerce, SMS was not considered as part of the business opportunity thus far by financial services other than for non personal notifications because of its security vulnerabilities.
The XMS application can be downloaded over the air (WAP push) or sent via email to a recipient who can then transfer it to his mobile phone via Blue tooth or IR. The application is light by itself, between 140 -180 KB. Once installed, the user is prompted to enter his password for the application, it generates automatically the user's key pair (private and public keys) public keys are exchanged with the peer group and the person is ready to send out private text. The user interface (UI) is easy and intuitive, and the encrypting is done at the backend, so user experience is good.
Over 70% - 75% smart-phones in the market which are JAVA MIDP 2.0 and Symbian are compatible for XMS. We are looking at a potentially huge market. The application distribution and function is independent of Telco and service providers, which minimise third party dependencies.
Check out who is offering XMS here!
If your local telco is not offering XMS as yet, BUY ONLINE NOW!
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