Technology & Security

Let's start with a quiz. Don't worry, we aren't keeping score.

Question 1: Can Google read your emails?

Question 2: Can Apple read your notes?

Question 3: Can Signal read your text messages?

Answers -

1. Yes.
2. Yes (unless you 'lock' the note).
3. No.

If you got those right, congrats! You have a basic (or maybe stronger?) understanding of how data security works. Though I think it's important to point out the key word in those questions - CAN. Which means someone at that company could. Do they? Almost certainly not, but it is largely misunderstood what someone can do verses what their internal policies are.

But let's take a deeper look into this before we talk about GodSpeaks. Feel free to skip to the heading "What We Do" if this doesn't interest you.

A Deeper Look

When you write something down in a notebook, as long as you keep your notebook with you and nobody touches it, your information is safe. However, if a flood, fire, or a hungry dog comes along; so long notebook. I probably think about this more than most people as I not only have 4+ years of journals (and counting), but I also keep a physical notebook for each of my children that I write in monthly on the date of their birth. If you want to know what I am going back in my house for (assuming everyone in my family is safe), it's those journals.

Along comes Electric Pencil in 1976 - the very first digital word processing software. Woohoo! Who needs journals when I can type on this sweet interface -

Problem solved! Thank you technology! Except, wait - we have a similar problem: the text is only in one place. So let's fast-forward to

The internet!

Now we've done it! Founded in 1983, the internet officially starts the conversation about having information shared beyond our living rooms. This is the answer we've been waiting for. All done, let's go, wrap it up... well sort of. Apparently being able to save things in a place that has fairly unlimited access comes the issue of having information stored in a place where basically anyone has access.  

Ugh.

You can probably imagine the cat and mouse game that has occurred over the years. As every feature of the internet has been created to give us more access to one another and to our information, it has also exposed our information to more threats. Most of our data isn't that useful to people, but at the same time, nobody wants to come home to a stranger in their house.

Let's take a look at our first three questions one more time and dig in a little bit. Do I think someone at Google or Apple is looking at your email or your personal notes? I do not. However, someone could if they wanted to. And that's probably not such a bad thing most of the time. Because the only way to restrict anyone from seeing your information except for you, is to make sure nobody can see your information except for you.

Are you seeing the issue?

Have you ever been to the Apple store where someone has forgotten their Apple ID?

Friendly Store Person: "I'm sorry sir/ma'am, there's really nothing I can do. Without your Apple ID, I can't unlock your phone."

Frustrated Customer: "BUT WHAT ABOUT MY PICTURES!?!?!?!"

Yeah - it goes a lot like that.

There are companies that prioritize your security (Signal is an example), but if you need access to something that you sent and don't have your password or 2-factor authentication. Good luck - nobody has access to that.

What We Do

If you've stayed with me this far, or jumped to this point, let me share our conviction and our dilemma.

Conviction: We want GodSpeaks to be a secure place for your most precious moments with the Lord.

Dilemma: We don't ever want to be in a position where you can lose access to your most precious moments with the Lord.

So now what?

Here's what we are doing now, and we will keep you updated on any future changes going forward.

As of May 26th, 2023 we will be encrypting all entries that are stored in the GodSpeaks database so that nobody from GodSpeaks can accidentally view them. From that point on, no entry will be stored without first being encrypted. However, the type of encryption we are using would allow us to recover them in the event it was absolutely necessary.

To be clear, it is possible that a developer from GodSpeaks could decrypt the memories and read them, however, we hope that you'd trust that we hire the kind of people that would not do that. At this point, the only developers in GodSpeaks are the founders and it would not ever be our goal to breach your privacy or break the trust we desire to build with our community.

The Future

The thing about technology and security is that they are constantly evolving. We also have ideas for how we can increase the secuirty of GodSpeaks without putting your memories in jeopardy.

An example would be how Apple notes or Evernote allow you to lock specific notes. This prevents even an engineer at their respective organization, no matter their desire, from viewing the content. We are also looking into allowing you to use biometrics (the same that your phone uses) to secure the app.

Whenever we do make a change, we will let you know.

In awe of Jesus,

Andrew & Nate