Cryptophone 500i User manual

Brand: Cryptophone

Model: 500i

Type: User manual

CryptoPhone 500i User Manual

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

2.4 Inserting the battery

2.5 Replacing the back cover

2.6 Charging the battery

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

3.1 Select the Security Level

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

3.5 Data connection required

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

3.7 Cryptophone App Settings

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

3.9 General Android system settings

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

5.2 Making a Secure Call

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

5.4 Timeline

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

6 Emergency Erase of the

Phone's Memory

7 Understanding the

Baseband Firewall

8 Backup & Restore

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

8.3 Restoring secure storage

9 Contact Management

9.1 Import Contacts to Secure Storage

9.2 Export Android Contacts

9.3 Import Android Contacts

9.4 Syncing

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

10.3 I forgot my passphrase -what to do?

10.4 Reboot

10.5 Factory Reset

10.6 Contact your local distributor

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and

their implications

11.2 The CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module

11.3 Safety information

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

12.2 Service Request

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

12.4 Disclaimer

CryptoPhone 500i User Manual

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

2.4 Inserting the battery

2.5 Replacing the back cover

2.6 Charging the battery

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

3.1 Select the Security Level

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

3.5 Data connection required

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

3.7 Cryptophone App Settings

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

3.9 General Android system settings

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

5.2 Making a Secure Call

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

5.4 Timeline

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

6 Emergency Erase of the

Phone's Memory

7 Understanding the

Baseband Firewall

8 Backup & Restore

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

8.3 Restoring secure storage

9 Contact Management

9.1 Import Contacts to Secure Storage

9.2 Export Android Contacts

9.3 Import Android Contacts

9.4 Syncing

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

10.3 I forgot my passphrase -what to do?

10.4 Reboot

10.5 Factory Reset

10.6 Contact your local distributor

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and

their implications

11.2 The CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module

11.3 Safety information

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

12.2 Service Request

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

12.4 Disclaimer

How to install the SIM Card and

the battery

SIM Card

optional micro SD Card

(on top of SIM Card)

Back button

Multipurpose

jack

Infrared LED

Proximity

Light

Gesture

sensor

Recent apps

button

Microphone

Front camera

Power button

Home button

Notification light

Earpiece

Touch screen

Rear camera

Flash

GPS antenna

Main

antenna

Noise

Cancellation

Microphone

Volume

button

Back cover

Speaker

Headset jack

Device layout

CryptoPhone Widget

CryptoPhone Application

and Functions

CryptoPhone related

application icons

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

1 Introduction

The GSMK CryptoPhone 500i is a state of

the art encrypted telephone that provides

you with secure calls over IP (via GSM/EDGE,

3G, 4G (LTE) or WiFi), secure SMS, and a

dedicated secure storage system for your

contacts, notes and secure short messages.

To protect the integrity and security of the

phone and your data, the CryptoPhone 500i is

built on a hardened Android-based operating

system and includes additional components

for true 360° security including the patented

GSMK Baseband Firewall, an Internet Firewall

and additional security options for installed

applications.

Verifiable Source Code

GSMK CryptoPhones are the only secure mobile

phones on the market with source code

available for independent security assessments.

They can be verified to be free of backdoors, free

of key escrow, free of centralized or

operator-owned key generation, andthey

require no key registration.

360˚ Security: Armored and Encrypted

• Ultimate CryptoPhone Security

• Full source code available for review

• No backdoors

• Hardened Android OS

• Configurable Security Profiles

• Encrypted Storage

• Emergency delete function

• Built-in Baseband Firewall 2.0

Security Advice: You should always keep

your CryptoPhone with you to prevent

manipulation by attackers gaining physical

access to the device.

Installing any potentially malicious

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone500i

may, despite of the built-in security

measures, under some circumstances

compromise the security of your data or

your secure communications and is

therefore not recommended.

Package contents

Please, check the product box for the

following items:

• CP500i device

• Battery

• Headphones

• USB charger

• Micro USB to USB cable

• Two stickers with your personal

CryptoPhone number and

corresponding PUK

• Manual

2 Setting up the phone hardware

2.1 Opening the housing

Be careful not to damage your fingernails

when you remove the back cover.

Do not bend or twist the back cover

excessively. Doing so may damage the

cover.

2.2 Inserting the SIM card

Insert the SIM or USIM card provided by the

mobile telephone service provider, and the

included battery.

• Only microSIM cards work

with the device.

• Some LTE services may not be available

depending on the service provider.

For details about service availability,

contact your service provider.

2.3 Inserting the micro SD card

Your device accepts memory cards with

maximum capacity of 128 GB. Depending

on the memory card manufacturer and

type, some memory cards may not be

compatible with your device.

• Some memory cards may not be fully

compatible with the device. Using an

incompatible card may damage the

device or the memory card, or corrupt

the data stored in it.

• Use caution to insert the memory

card right-side up.

• The device supports the FAT and the

exFAT file systems for memory cards.

When inserting a card formatted in a

different file system, the device asks to

reformat the memory card.

• Frequent writing and erasing of data

shortens the lifespan of memory cards.

Remove the back cover.

Insert the SIM or USIM card with the

gold-colored contacts facing downwards.

Do not insert a memory card into the SIM

card slot. If a memory card happens to be

lodged in the SIM card slot, take the device

to your local GSMK distributor to remove

the memory card.

• Use caution not to lose or let others

use the SIM or USIM card.

2.4 Inserting the battery

Insert the battery with the gold-colored

contacts facing to the upper left corner of

the battery slot. Slide it upwards in the

battery slot.

2.5 Replacing the back cover

Ensure that the back cover is closed tightly.

Use only GSMK- and/or Samsung-approved

back covers and accessories with the device.

2.6 Charging the battery

Use the charger to charge the battery

before using it for the first time. A computer

can be also used to charge the device by

connecting them via the USB cable.

a) Connect the USB cable to the USB

power adaptor.

b) Open the multipurpose jack cover.

c) When using a USB cable, plug the USB

cable into the right side of the

multipurpose jack as shown.

d) After fully charging, disconnect the

device from the charger. First unplug the

charger from the device, and then unplug

it from the electric socket.

e) Close the multipurpose jack cover.

3 Setting up your CryptoPhone

Boot the device by long-pressing the power

button on the upper right side of the

device. You will see the CryptoPhone boot

animation.

3.1 Select the Security Level

The operating system of your CryptoPhone

has been hardened against a number of

known attacks.

To make use of this protection mechanism,

the first step to configure your CryptoPhone

before you take it in use, is to select the

operating system’s security level in the

Security Profile Manager tool (this does not

influence the security of encrypted

telephony or secure SMS).

To reduce the likelihood of new and

unknown attacks impacting the security of

your phone, the higher security levels

disable more applications and services than

the lower security levels. Setting the

system’s security level thus enables you to

choose the right balance between

convenience and security by removing more

potentially vulnerable components and

capabilities in the higher security levels.

Please read the description of each security

level (section 11.1) carefully and choose the

level most appropriate for you.

The default security level is High. While you

can always switch to a different security

level later by means of a factory reset of the

phone (see section 10.5), doing so will

erase all data stored on the phone.

3.2 Three Apps to control your device

and use it securely

The CryptoPhone App

The CryptoPhone application is used to

make encrypted calls, send and receive

encrypted SMS, and to store contacts, notes

and secure short messages in the encrypted

Secure Storage. It comes further with the

feature to 'Emergency Erase' the Content of

the Secure Storage and other personal data

on the phone (see section 6).

The Baseband Firewall (BBFW)

The BBFW application protects the

microchip in your CryptoPhone that

manages the communication with the

mobile network, the so-called Baseband

chip, against attacks. The BBFW looks for

certain patterns of phone and network

behavior, will notify you if it detects too

many suspicious events and will then reset

the baseband chip to get rid of possible

attack malware. It will also detect attempts

to control the CryptoPhone by bringing it

under the control of a rogue base station

(e.g. a so-called IMSI Catcher) and notify

you if such a situation occurs.

Note that in certain situations, events will

be flagged as suspicious that are due to

misconfiguration of the mobile network,

spotty coverage, or unusual cell site

configurations. The BBFW is configured to

err on the side of caution and rather reset

the baseband more frequently than

overlook an attack.

The IP Firewall

Another component of the 360° security

concept of the CryptoPhone 500i is the IP

Firewall application. It works essentially the

same way as a personal firewall which you

may know from your desktop computer.

You can allow or block incoming and

outgoing Internet connections for each

application individually. This prevents

unauthorized access from outside to the

CryptoPhone and allows you to control the

network usage of applications.

3.3 Setting-up your Secure Storage

The secure storage subsystem is a feature of

the CryptoPhone Application. It contains

your encrypted SMS messages, your secure

contacts, and your secure notes.

After booting up, open the CryptoPhone

Application. The phone will ask you to set

the passphrase for the secure storage

container.

Note that the strength of protection of the

secure storage container depends entirely

on how difficult it is to guess your

passphrase.

A passphrase consisting of at least 16

characters, consisting of a mix of letters,

numbers and special characters, is

recommended. For instance, you could use

the initial letters from the words of a poem

or song text which you remember well and

replace some of the letters with numbers.

Avoid words that can be found in a

dictionary. You can later change the

passphrase and configure the automatic

timeout for locking the secure storage

container in the settings (see section 3.7).

Note: If you forget your passphrase, there

is no way to retrieve your data in the

secure storage. The encryption system

contains no backdoor or master key. So

make sure not to forget the passphrase.

3.4 Check your CryptoPhone Number

Your personal CryptoPhone number can be

found on the sticker shipped with the

phone. It can also be found on-device, in

the “phone number” section of the

CryptoPhone settings menu, which can be

accessed by invoking the CryptoPhone app

and then tapping on the “Settings” icon.

You need to be logged into the secure

storage container to access the settings

menu. Your passphrase will be required if

you are not logged in at the moment. Write

down your CryptoPhone number so that

you can give it to your contacts.

Your CryptoPhone telephone number never

changes, no matter what SIM card you put

into the phone or whether you are roaming,

even if you use Wireless LAN or a satellite

terminal.

3.5 Data connection required

Please note that the CryptoPhone 500i will

establish a data connection to stay online

(so that you can be reached) and transmits

more data when you make or receive a call.

Normal data usage ranges from 2 to 5

Megabytes per 24 hours in standby mode to

keep the CryptoPhone connected.

Using the CryptoPhone 500i on a mobile

phone network (4G/TLE, 3G/UMTS, EDGE,

or GSM GPRS) without an affordable data

plan can result in high charges. When you

are roaming on a foreign network, your

mobile network operator will typically bill

you for additional roaming charges.

To avoid such costs it is strongly

recommended to use tariff plans with data

flat rates.

Tip: When traveling abroad, obtain a

pre-paid SIM card from a local network of

the country you are going to that offers a

reasonable data plan (remember that your

CryptoPhone number does not change

when you change the SIM card).

Troubleshooting: If you experience

difficulties in getting your data connection

to work, set the phone to “Basic Security”

or “Medium Security” (see section 10.5).

Then work with your network operator to

set the correct APN address and user

configuration until you can use the phone’s

web browser to access the Internet.

Alternatively, use Wireless LAN / WiFi to

connect to the Internet.

When you can access the Internet from your

web browser, your CryptoPhone should also

be able to establish secure connections.

CryptoPhone calls require a working

Internet connection.

3.6 Connect to Secure Network

The CryptoPhone Applications connects

automatically on start up, if a data

connection is available. If this is not the

case, press the offline status icon on the

CryptoPhone

main screen.

It will show an animation while it tries to

connect.

If your CryptoPhone is connected to the

secure network, the icon will show a

checkmark.

If you want to disconnect from the secure

network, press the status icon again. This

disables the secure network connection.

3.7 CryptoPhone App Settings

In order to change the passphrase of your

Secure Storage go to the 'Settings' menu of

the CryptoPhone application and tap on

'Passphrase'.

Further you can change the timeframe for

an auto-lock of the Secure Storage in the

settings menu. Tap on 'Secure Storage' and

type in a value that seems appropriate for

you.

The 'Timeline' setting controls the recording

of incoming and outgoing encrypted

telephone calls. Three different settings are

available:

a) 'Do not save events': Nothing is saved in

the Timeline of the Secure Storage

b) 'Only save when secure storage is unlocked':

Date, time and telephone number for incoming

and outgoing encrypted telephone calls are

saved but only when the secure storage is

unlocked, when the event occurs.

c) 'Save all events': Date, time and

telephone number for all encrypted

telephone calls are saved in the Timeline of

the Secure Storage. Note that, having this

setting enabled, events occurring during

locked Secure Storage are saved temporarily

unencrypted within the flash memory until

the Secure Storage is unlocked again.

The Emergency Erase function is described

in section 6, the Backup process for the

Secure Storage in section 8 of this manual.

3.8 Internet Firewall Setup

By default full internet access is allowed for

all applications.

In order to change this setting for one

specific application, open the Internet

Firewall App and choose the relevant

application.

You can now allow incoming and outgoing

internet connections for 'Wifi only': the

application has no internet access when you

are connected to mobile networks. Or you

can fully 'Deny' any internet connections.

3.9 Baseband Firewall Settings

You can configure the BBFW's options for

resetting the baseband processor and

disable geolocation from "Settings" in the

drop down menu in the BBFW main screen

(upper right corner).

Enabled geolocation improves the analysis,

but increases power consumption.

The Baseband can be configured

to reboot if:

• an IMSI catcher is detected

• a certain warning level is achieved.

The desired warning level value for a

baseband reboot can be set between 61

and 100 points. Tap on 'Reboot on Warning

Level' and slide the controller to the value

that seems appropriate to you. A baseband

reboot caused by warnings can be disabled

by sliding the controller to the right until

'off' appears as value. Press 'OK' to save the

setting.

You also have the option of sending a

commented logfile with suspicious events to

GSMK for further analysis by encrypted

e-mail. To do this, in the BBFW application,

simply tap on the "cloud" symbol in the top

bar and follow the instructions.

3.10 General Android system settings

This section will describe the most

important system settings you can make on

your CryptoPhone.

The system settings can be configured using

the Settings application.

Personal

In this section you can enable and disable

geolocation of your phone. Tap on 'Location'

and set it to 'On' or 'Off'.

Further you find important settings in the

Security menu.

We recommend to set a proper screen lock

for your device (a PIN, pattern or a password).

Full disk encryption can be set up to protect

data that is outside of your Secure Storage.

Note, that the data is only encrypted as long

as your phone is switched off and you did not

The strength of protection of the encryption

depends entirely on how difficult it is to guess

your passphrase.

The inconspicuous boot feature replaces the

CryptoPhone boot animation with a neutral

boot animation.

Accounts

Google and e-mail accounts can be set-up

and configured here.

The “Local” account comes per default and

can be used for local-only storage of your

calendars and contacts.

System

Important security settings can be influenced

using the “App Options” menu.

Understanding that some users' operational

needs mean that they require access to

third-party applications, the CryptoPhone

Permission Enforcement Module gives these

users fine-grained control of access

permissions for network, sensors and data for

all applications and operating system

components by intercepting the respective API

calls and returning either no or spoofed results

(like user-defined coordinates for GPS and

other location services). This method does for

instance make it possible to use off-the-shelf

mapping & navigation applications without

revealing your true location. Camera and

microphone access can be controlled as well,

thus reducing the risk of surreptitious usage. If

you need to install third-party applications,

carefully examine what permissions these

applications ask for, and restrict their access to

sensitive data like e.g. GPS sensor data, access

to address book data, etc.

When you invoke the PEM by choosing "App

ops" in Device Settings / System, you will see a

list of all installed apps and system

components. Upon clicking on the name of a

specific app, you will see the permissions that

the specific app would like to have. For apps

that you installed from the Google Play store,

a requester will pop up after installation,

asking you to grant or deny the desired

permissions for the app in question. You can

set each permission to Allow, Random

(generate Random data) or Ignore (do not

allow). The Random option is especially useful

for apps that will not work without receiving

data from sources like GPS. If an app

misbehaves with restrictive permissions

enforced, experiment to find which settings

work or consider not using the app at all.

Note that the PEM is no guarantee against

malicious apps compromising your

CryptoPhone, it only raises the bar for an

attacker. We strongly recommend to use the

"High Security" profile, and to not install any

third-party apps on your CryptoPhone.

4 Updating your CryptoPhone

You can check for updates for your

CryptoPhone 500i’s firmware by opening

the "Updater" application and pressing

"Search for Updates”.

The phone will connect to GSMK’s update

servers, and check for updates that are

compatible with your phone’s hardware and

firmware version.

If an updated firmware version is available,

a list of changes towards your current

version will be shown.

If you press the “Update now” button, the

firmware image will be downloaded and

cryptographically verified. When the

verification succeeds, the firmware image

will be written to your phone’s flash

memory.

Follow the on-screen instructions. The data

on your phone will not be erased by a

firmware update.

Note: A full firmware image can be up to

200 Megabytes. Make sure that you use

WiFi or a 3G/4G connection with a

sufficiently generous data plan to

download the update.

5 Using the CryptoPhone App

5.1 Store your Contacts

Each contact stored in the secure storage

area consists of one CryptoPhone number

and one GSM number.

The first entry is the CryptoPhone number,

which usually starts with +807. Enter the

name and corresponding Crypto-Phone

number for the contact you want to call

securely.

Like your own CryptoPhone number, it will

always be the same, even if your partner

switches to a different mobile network

operator or is online via WiFi.

You will recognize a valid Crypto-Phone

number by a special prefix, usually +807.

Please note that CryptoPhone numbers

cannot be reached from the normal

telephone network.

CryptoPhone numbers (+807) cannot be

used to send secure SMS messages.

The GSM numbers are your contact’s

normal mobile phone numbers and can be

used for sending secure SMS messages.

To add a new contact, press the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” button in the main

menu, then press the “Add Contact” icon in

the lower left corner of the screen. Press the

“Back” button to store the contact entry.

You can edit that entry later on by

long-pressing on the contact and choosing

“Show/Edit Details”.

For more details on contact management

(backup/restore/sync), please refer to

section 8 and section 9.

5.2 Making a Secure Call

Press the “Contacts” button, select the

contact you want to call and press the

“Dial” button in the lower left corner of the

screen.

The secure call screen opens and, if your

partner is available, you will hear a ring

tone. When your partner picks up, the text

“Key Exchange” is shown on the display and

you will hear a special tone sequence

indicating that the cryptographic key

exchange is in progress.

After the key exchange is completed, six

letters are shown. These six letters are a

cryptographic fingerprint of the unique

session key used during your secure call.

Once the call has been established, read out

the three letters that are shown under the

label “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out to you are the same

as shown under the label that reads

“Partner says”.

If they do not match, you should not

consider the line secure.

The quality indicator icon changes color

depending on the delay and overall quality

of the connection. If it stays orange or red,

try to change to a location with better

network coverage. If it stays red and your

call has glitches or bad audio, change to a

location with better network coverage, try

disconnecting and reconnecting to the

secure network (see section 3.6), then call

again.

Please note that call quality can be

sub-optimal in fast-moving vehicles.

5.3 Sending a Secure Text Message

Before you can exchange secure SMS

messages with a contact, you need to

complete a key exchange for text

messaging.

To initiate the key exchange, go to the

CryptoPhone “Contacts” menu, highlight

the name of your contact and keep it

pressed, then select “Show/Edit Details”

from the pop-up menu.

You can now initiate the key exchange by

pressing the “key exchange” button.

For each key exchange, five SMS messages

will be sent and received, containing the

public key material.

After a key exchange is completed, you will

be asked to verify the new SMS key, either

with a secure phone call or by other means.

Like in a secure phone call, the six letters of

the cryptographic fingerprint of your key are

shown on the display.

Read out the three letters that are shown

under “You say” and verify that the letters

your partner reads out are the same as

shown under “Partner says”.

Once you have confirmed that the letters

match, you can exchange encrypted SMS

messages with your partner by selecting the

“SMS” icon on the CryptoPhone main screen.

The SMS key material is kept inside the

secure storage container and is used to

generate individual message keys for your

future encrypted SMS message

communication with this partner.

The initial key exchange can be renewed at

any time following the procedure above.

5.4 Timeline

The timeline shows your call history.

Since the timeline can reveal sensitive

information about you and your

communication partners, you can configure

whether and when items get saved to the

history as an option in the CryptoPhone

“Settings” menu.

You can choose to store events to the

timeline even while the secure storage

container is not unlocked. Be aware that the

call history for this period is stored in a way

that can be subject to forensic analysis, until

the secure storage container is unlocked the

next time.

5.5 Lock/Unlock Secure Storage

To unlock the secure storage, press the

“Unlock” icon on the CryptoPhone main

screen.

This reveals a “Lock” icon, used to re-lock

the secure storage.

5.6 The CryptoPhone Widget

The CryptoPhone Widget is a quick way to

access the most important CryptoPhone

application features directly from the

device's home screen.

You can use it to make secure calls, access

your secure contacts, the timeline, and

secure messages as well as change your

online status.

Tap on the respective icon in the Widget to

go directly to the desired part of the

CryptoPhone Suite or to change your online

status.

6 Emergency Erase of the phone's memory

In case a capture of your phone by

unfriendly elements is imminent, you can

use the emergency erase function to

overwrite all key material as well as the rest

of the flash memory of the phone.

Note that stored secure storage back-ups

(see section 8) found in the root directory of

an inserted external SD-Card will be erased

as well.

You can access the Emergency Erase

function from the CryptoPhone “Settings”

menu. Note that an emergency erase will

take several minutes. The longer the

emergency erase process has time to run,

the better your data is erased.

Follow the setup instructions (see section 3)

to re-setup your CryptoPhone.

7 Understanding the Baseband Firewall

The BBFW looks for certain patterns of

phone and network behavior. It will output

corresponding “Alerts” after having

analyzed the network and phone status

data.

The BBFW will notify you if it detects

suspicious events. The events are classified is

three categories:

Network Risk Level: A certain Network Risk

Level is achieved when the general network

behavior is suspicious. E.g. the BBFW looks

for un- or badly encrypted communications

or unusual cell selection and re-selection

patterns.

Tracking Events: Tracking Events are events

occurring in the network that theoretically

can be used to track your phone within the

network. E.g. paging requests.

Baseband Resource Anomalies: Baseband

Ressource Anomalies are shown when the

baseband status and the device's operating

system status differ. E.g. a phone call is

ended in the OS but much too late in the

Baseband.

The events are further classified by strength

of suspicion (none, low, medium, high and

very high suspicious) and scored.

The sum of scores results in a “Warning

Level”. If a certain warning level is reached

(see section 3.9 for setting the threshold)

the baseband chip is reset to get rid of

possible attack malware.

Further the BBFW automatically resets the

baseband when an IMSI catcher could

clearly be detected. For instance in a 3G

network, IMSI catcher could try to force the

baseband to 2G to get around security

limitations present in 3G specifications. This

shows a clear signature which is counted as

an IMSI catcher.

As a final step the BBFW turns your

baseband to offline, if it had to trigger such

resets more then 3 times per 5 seconds.

8 Backup & Restore

Your entire Secure Storage (contacts, SMS,

notes, timeline and messaging key material)

can be easily backed-up and restored.

8.1 Backing up secure storage on a

non-removable SD Card

If no SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Non-removable SD Card.

In order to backup your secure storage go

to CryptoPhone settings/Backup secure

storage.Tap on this and you will see a text

saying: Secure Storage has been backed up

successfully.

Now, your backup is saved in a file in the

root directory of your phone with the name

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore.

The backup file has an encrypted proprietary

format.

You can only read it with the CryptoPhone

Application (see Restore secure storage 8.3)

Additionally you will be asked whether you

want to send the file via e-mail. This is only

possible if you have an e-mail client installed

on your CryptoPhone.

Note that changing the Security Profile will

also delete the back-up stored on the

phones internal SD-Card.

Before changing the security profile you

should save the backup in a different

location, e.g. on an external SD-Card.

8.2 Backing up secure storage on a

removable SD Card

If a SD Card has been inserted the dialog

will show Removable SD CARD and the

backup will be saved on your removable SD

Card.

8.3 Restoring secure storage

This function is only visible if you have

already done a backup that is saved on the

phones internal memory, or on an inserted

removable SD Card. Tap on this entry to

restore an existing backup.

Note that you need the passphrase you had

set when you made the backup to access

your secure storage after having restored it.

A pop-up window will open that lists all

backups you have made before:

Select backup to restore:

backup_yyyymmdd_tttttt.secstore

Backups are listed in chronological order.

Select the backup which you want to

restore by tapping on it. A text is shown

saying: Secure storage has been restored

successfully. The app will restart now.

9 Contact Management

Note that you have two different locations to

store your contacts on your CryptoPhone:

• either encrypted within the CryptoPhone

application

• or plain within the Android Contacts

application

9.1 Import Contacts to your Secure Storage

You can import a list of valid CryptoPhone

Contacts from the Android Contacts App to

your Secure Storage:

Tap on the 'sync' symbol in the lower right

corner of the CryptoPhone Contacts menu.

All contacts stored with a valid CryptoPhone

number in your device contacts list will be

imported.

Further you can import a back-up of your

Secure Storage containing your encrypted

Contacts (see section 8).

9.2 Export Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be exported as

followed:

• tap on the menu icon (on the bottom

right corner of the screen) and select

'import/export'

• choose 'Export to storage'

All contacts are saved in a .vcf file (vCard)

on the internal SD card. In order to copy the

file, connect your CP500i to your computer

and browse the internal SD card using your

computer's file manager.

9.3 Import Android Contacts

Android Contacts can be imported either

from the internal SD card of your phone or

from your SIM Card following the steps

described here.

From SD card:

• Connect your device to a computer and

copy the vCard file(s) you want to import

to the root directory of your Phone

• On the phone: open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from storage'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Choose the vCard file(s) you want

to import

From SIM card:

• Open the Contacts App

• Tap on the menu (lower right corner) and

select 'import/export'

• Choose 'Import from SIM card'

• Choose 'Local' Account

• Now select the contacts you want to

import by tapping on them

• Select 'Import all' from the menu in the

top right corner

9.4 Syncing

In order to maintain a list of contacts, you

can also synchronize your Android Contacts

with your computer using third party

software. GSMK can not guarantee the

functionality and security of such a process

and is not responsible for any damage

caused by using third-party software.

While it is possible to set up a Google

account, and enable automatic syncing of

your Android Contacts with your Google

Account, we strongly recommend to save

contacts under the 'Local Account' instead

and use the export and import function of

the Android Contacts application described

above in order to prevent data leakage to

third parties.

10 Troubleshooting

10.1 How to find out your version number

To check the software version on your device:

• Open CryptoPhone App

• Tap on "Information"

• You will find

• Base OS Version

• Baseband Firewall Version

• App Version

• Alternatively you can obtain the

CryptoPhone App version number from

the device's Settings menu:

- Open device Settings

- Choose "Apps"

- Choose the tab "all"

- Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

- Look for the CryptoPhone App

version number

10.2 How to find out your security level

You can see your current Security Level

under “About Phone” in the phone's

“Settings” App.

10.3 I forgot my passphrase - what to do?

Note that when you have forgotten your

passphrase, your data in the Secure

Storage can not be restored.

In order to set a new passphrase, you have

to reset your Secure Storage as follows.

• Open device Settings

• Choose "Apps"

• Choose the tab "all"

• Scroll down and choose "CryptoPhone"

• Tap on "Clear data"

• All your Secure Data will be deleted

• On next application start you will be

asked to initialize your Secure Storage

again

10.4 Reboot

In case your phone behaves in an unexpected

manner or is getting slow, you can reboot

it. To restart your CryptoPhone, press the

power button for two seconds. Choose

“Reboot” from the pop-up menu and

choose “Reboot” again from the drop-down

menu.

Your data will not be erased!

10.5 Factory Reset

In order to switch your CryptoPhone to a

different security level (see section 11.1) or

reset your phone to factory settings by

following the steps described below.

Please note that after a factory reset all

data previously stored on the phone will no

longer be available.

Factory Reset:

• Press power button for about 4 seconds

• Select “reboot“ from the menu

• Select “recovery“ mode and press

“Reboot“

• You are now in recovery mode. Use the

volume buttons to scroll up and down;

use the power button to select

your choice.

• Now choose „wipe data/factory reset“

• Confirm wipe of all user data

• Reboot system now

• “Welcome to your CryptoPhone

is shown

• Select a security level

10.6 Contact your local distributer

If your CryptoPhone requires service please

contact your local distributer for support

(see section 12).

11 General Security Advices

11.1 Different security levels and their

implications

The operating system of the GSMK

CryptoPhone 500i has been hardened against

a number of known attacks. Hardening the

operating system against attacks is an essential

feature for achieving true 360° protection of

your phone.

The Android operating system, on which the

GSMK CryptoPhone 500i's hardened version is

based, enjoys unprecedented popularity in the

mobile phone marketplace. Popularity and

widespread use make the platform a popular

target for malware and fraudulent applications.

Criminals, surveillance tool manufacturers, and

intelligence agencies are known to be

aggressively in the market for usable exploits

against the standard Android operating

system.

Since security on software-driven platforms is

largely a function of the attack surface, the

first and most important step in securing a

platform is to par down the installed software

base as much as possible. This applies both to

operating system-level components and

applications. The CryptoPhone Security Profile

Manager is at the core of the CryptoPhone

500i's security concept and allows the user to

set upon initialization of the phone a desired

security level for the operating system that

matches the intended usage of the phone

(e.g. “dedicated secure phone” vs. “all-in-one

phone”) as well as the user's perceived risk

from software attacks against his phone. All

software components on the phone have

been classified into risk categories, and the

CryptoPhone Security Profile Manager will

restrict or remove an increasing number

components depending on the chosen OS

security level. The removal of components is

augmented by a number of watchdogs and

trigger systems that detect atypical system

behavior. This general approach allows a

flexible adaption of the mobile device’s

security configuration on OS level in order to

strike a meaningful balance between usability

and security, as required by the user's

operational needs.

As a general rule, you should always select the

highest security profile that is still compatible

with your operational needs. Selecting one of

the lower security profiles increases the attack

surface and will introduce security risks that

you should only take if you absolutely need

the kind of functionality offered by one of the

lower security profiles.

11.2 The CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module

The GSMK CryptoPhone Permission

Enforcement Module has now been

integrated into the

device settings menu, and also been provided

with a more intuitive user interface.

In device settings, choose System -> App ops

to set permissions for individual apps

(see section 3.10).

11.3 Safety information

Failure to comply with safety warnings and

regulations can cause serious injury or death.

Do not use damaged power cords or plugs, or

loose electrical sockets. For comprehensive

safety advice, please refer to the safety

information booklet that came with your

device, or download the hardware

manufacturer's safety guide from:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/S

M-G900FZKABTU

12 Service & Support

12.1 Support

For support requests please send an email

to [email protected].

When requesting support, please always

mention your CryptoPhone model, App

version number and the selected security

profile (see section 10) and describe your

issue as detailed as possible.

12.2 Service Request

If your CryptoPhone requires service, your local

distributer is there for you to assist you and repair

or replace the product in the fastest way

possible. Should you experience a hardware

problem with a CryptoPhone product, then

please send your local distributer an email and

list:

• your CryptoPhone model

• App Version (see section 10.1)

• invoice and/or serial number, and

• the exact nature of your problem.

Please note that a detailed, meaningful

description of the defect(s) is important to allow

us to process your request. We will then provide

you with a Return Merchandise Authorization

(RMA) Number under which you can send the

defective device(s) back to us for service. You will

usually receive your RMA number within 48

hours after we get your e-mail.

12.3 CryptoPhone 500i Manual

The latest version of the CryptoPhone 500i

manual can also be accessed on the device

itself by invoking the CryptoPhone App,

pressing the “Information” icon and then

selecting “Quick Start Guide”.

12.4 Disclaimer

This document is provided for information

purposes only, and the contents hereof are

subject to change without notice. This

document is not warranted to be error-free, nor

subject to any other warranties or conditions,

whether expressed orally or implied in law,

including implied warranties and conditions of

merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with

respect to this document, and no contractual

obligations are formed either directly or indirectly

by this document. This document may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, for any

purpose, without our prior written permission.

The product names and logos mentioned in this

document are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

GSMK - Gesellschaft für Sichere Mobile

Kommunikation mbH

Marienstrasse 11, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Manual Version V1.6 - 210115

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Cryptophone 500i User manual

Brand: Cryptophone

Model: 500i

Type: User manual

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Cryptophone 500i User manual

Cryptophone 500i User manual

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