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ZAS Communicator Project

If you got nothing to hide, you got nothing to say

Privacy is liberty

Privacy is "all or nothing" concept. The communications should be protected by technical means, so it wouldn't be ever possible for a third party to access private data. If any government or non-government organization could access bulk private data, this opens ways for system misuse, abuse, and/or leak of private information. Protecting electronic data by privacy laws is good action, however this wouldn't be sufficient guarantee of sanctity. The data should be protected both legally and technically.

Therefore, we have developed ZAS Communicator. It is the software specifically designed to provide private communication to anyone with access to Internet.

Experimental version of the software is available for download at http://www.zas-comm.ru. It really works; you can communicate globally using it. The software employs strong encryption of data. No organization in the World should be able to break into the system.

What is ZAS Communicator?

ZAS Communicator is PC software for individual use, to provide secure phone communication, text chat and data file transfer over Internet. The communication is protected by strong encryption from one end of the link to the other. This makes impossible eavesdropping by wiretapping on communication channel.

The software is free. Download the program from web site, install it to PC, and use it.

The communication goes from computer to computer. You and your correspondents should have ZAS software running on PC.

ZAS could be used to communicate globally. It could work at any location where Internet is available. It is possible to build public or private business networks using ZAS.

There is no restriction on personal or business use.

What makes ZAS different from other communication systems (Skype, GoogleTalk, etc.)?

There are three important distinctions: ZAS is secure, ZAS is decentralized, and ZAS source code is open.

Secure: communication is encrypted from one end to the other. So the data is impossible to intercept. The encryption happens on client machines; you have full control over it.

Decentralized: The conventional Internet telephony systems consist of client part and server infrastructure. Unlike, in ZAS system there are no dedicated servers or hubs, i.e. no special infrastructure to support the system. Communication goes directly from one computer to the other. As such, there is no entity, which acts as a service provider or an owner of the system. Also, there is no dedicated center point or authority that controls the system. ZAS is distributed network of peer members. This makes system self-organizing, scalable, and resistant to attempts to block it. Besides, no center = no entry point for unsolicited advertising.

Open Source Code: Skype, GoogleTalk, etc. are proprietary systems. There is no easy way to know internals of those systems. The source code of ZAS software is published; anyone could check and verify it. There are no hidden backdoors.

ZAS network

Could we trust security provided by ZAS Communicator?

Source code of the software is published on the web site (http://www.zas-comm.ru); those proficient in art could verity it. We use well-known and proven algorithms with high security margin. Openness for audit makes the software trustworthy. We make our best effort to create reliable product, and we encourage others to examine it. If you find security issue, please report it to us. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the system is in development and experimental phase. It should be used with caution. Also, the ZAS Communicator protects the communication traffic only; it can't defend against other threats like hacking the computer itself.

Is ZAS Communicator legal?

In most of democratic countries, there is no restriction on using cryptography for personal or business purpose. However, this is not a legal advice. Check with local law and regulations.

Could ZAS communicator be used for business communication systems?

You can build internal enterprise-wide networks for business communication using ZAS. As well as connect to common global network. There is no limitation on personal or business use.

About developers

The project is private initiative not associated with any government or political group; developed on personal time and effort.

The developers could be contacted by email:

PGP Key: ZAS.asc

Roadmap of ZAS Project

ZAS Basic for PC Windows available now

Free features:

ZAS Professional (commercial, to be developed)

Premium Features:

ZAS for mobile applications (PDAs, smart phones)

Free basic version and commercial pro version, to be developed.