@title = "Bitmask Encrypted Email is ready for testing!"
@author = "LEAP"
@posted_at = '2015-11-05'
@more = true
@preview_image = '/img/pages/bitmask.png'

At a time when online surveillance by <a
href='http://boingboing.net/tag/hacking-team'>corporate</a> and <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2015/11/05/british-government-will-unsuc.html">government
powers is mainstream</a> we need the ability to communicate without fear. We
are happy to announce <a
href="https://github.com/leapcode/bitmask_client/blob/0.9.1/CHANGELOG.rst">Bitmask
0.9.1</a>, the Beta release of Bitmask Encrypted Email- a secure email
application that is easy to use and easy to provide.  Bitmask is 100%
free/libre software and uses the gold standard of encryption technology - GPG
end to end public key encryption. **Now we need your help to test this beta
release** so we can make it ready for wide spread use.

If you are a linux user, follow the steps below. (Mac and windows users, we're
coming at you real soon.)

1. Get Bitmask: https://bitmask.net
1. Run Bitmask and select mail.bitmask.net as your provider
1. Report issues here: https://leap.se/code/projects/report-issues


Background
--------------------------

**Bitmask** is an easy to use cross-platform VPN and encrypted email application.
Both services are backwards compatible with existing standards and designed to
be more secure than existing methods of VPN and email. Bitmask VPN public beta
has been in use for months. Version 0.9.1 released Nov 4th 2015 is our first
public beta of email.

The Encrypted Internet Proxy provides circumvention, location anonymization,
and traffic encryption in a hassle-free, automatically self-configuring
fashion.

Encrypted Mail offers automatic encryption and decryption for both outgoing and
incoming email, adding public key cryptography to your mail without you ever
having to worry about key distribution or signature verification. Bitmask runs
local SMTP and IMAP proxies that, once you configure the mail client of your
choice, will automatically encrypt and decrypt your email using GPG encryption
under the hood.

A user can use Bitmask with any provider that uses the LEAP Platform.

**The LEAP Platform** is essentially a turn-key system for a "secure provider in a
box" that enables a system administrator to easily and cheaply deploy and
manage their infrastructure by automating most labor-intensive tasks.

* More Bitmask info: https://bitmask.net/features
* More LEAP Platform info: https://leap.se/docs/platform
* Design documents: https://leap.se/docs/design