Anonymous Transcends the Internet; Takes to the Air
New tool supports encrypted communication over Ham radio.
Reports say the ultra-secret hacker group has developed a meansfor communicating over encrypted radio connections. A new tool called AirChat, created by a developer who claims Anonymous affiliation, encrypts communication over radio waves. The system requires a handheld radio transceiver attached to a Windows, Mac OS, or Linux system running the AirChat software.
As a communication medium, AirChat is a throwback to the modem era, in which digital data is encoded and transmitted over an audio connection. The real innovation is the prospect of secrecy and the fact that it works without any form of wired connection. The system can simply access any unused frequency, making it difficult for government or industry to even know where and when to start spying, and if they did happen to pick up the signal, the message would be unreadable due to strong encryption. According to the developer, a user who does not have a suitable transceiver could still receive a transmission from a pirate FM station using a conventional FM radio.
The developers believe this technology could one day allow users to communicate for free without the need for Internet access, a phone line, or the mobile phone network, all of which are subject to industry and government control. Transmission rates are slow by modern standards, meaning that this medium is best for transmitting text-based messages and documents.
AirChat is still in development but appears to be performing well in tests. According to early reports, the software is rather complex at this point and is not something that a non-technical user could easily implement.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Retools Thelio Desktop
The new Thelio Mira has landed with improved performance, repairability, and front-facing ports alongside a high-quality tempered glass facade.
-
Some Linux Distros Skirt Age Verification Laws
After California introduced an age verification law recently, open source operating system developers have had to get creative with how they deal with it.
-
UN Creates Open Source Portal
In a quest to strengthen open source collaboration, the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology has created a new portal.
-
Latest Linux Kernel RC Contains Changes Galore
Linux kernel 7.0-rc3 includes more changes than have been made in a single release in recent history.
-
Nitrux 6.0 Now Ready to Rock Your World
The latest iteration of the Debian-based distribution includes all kinds of newness.
-
Linux Foundation Reports that Open Source Delivers Better ROI
In a report that may surprise no one in the Linux community, the Linux Foundation found that businesses are finding a 5X return on investment with open source software.
-
Keep Android Open
Google has announced that, soon, anyone looking to develop Android apps will have to first register centrally with Google.
-
Kernel 7.0 Now in Testing
Linus Torvalds has announced the first Release Candidate (RC) for the 7.x kernel is available for those who want to test it.
-
Introducing matrixOS, an Immutable Gentoo-Based Linux Distro
It was only a matter of time before a developer decided one of the most challenging Linux distributions needed to be immutable.
-
Chaos Comes to KDE in KaOS
KaOS devs are making a major change to the distribution, and it all comes down to one system.
