XeroBank Interview With Steve Topletz

As the Internet evolves into a more useful medium of commerce for shopping, banking, employment, and social networking, more and more confidential information is exposed. Sensitive information from personal computers, banks, and even governments is now the daily target for skilled hackers and identity thieves. If you are not careful, your financial data is just a click away from being exposed and misused. Since digital gold currency transactions are not refundable, DGC users are a frequent and special target of the hackers.

Thankfully, a serious contender has emerged to combat these threats. XeroBank is poised to offer a digital strong-arm against would-be snoops, thieves, and hackers. Debuting with sophisticated technology, this new offering displays cunning insight into the needs of its clients. For all practical purposes, XeroBank allows you and your data to become invisible on the internet.

XeroBank has proven itself in the past with the free, anonymous browser, called xB Browser, formerly known as Torpark. xB Browser is indeed the most popular anonymous browser on the internet, with over 6.5 million downloads under its belt. This month, XeroBank prepares to launch its upgraded network, offering private surfing, and anonymous email. Next month, services will expand to offshore file storage as well.

Steve Topletz, a consultant with XeroBank, agreed to give us an interview.

(Q) Tell me about your privacy services and how they work. How ´anonymous´ are they?

In the XeroBank 2.0 network, all your computer´s traffic is anonymous and encrypted, no matter what program you are running. It all gets routed into the XeroBank network, without exception or need for configuration. That includes instant messages, mail, ftp, voice chat, file sharing, web surfing, and any other traffic you can think of. That means that eavesdroppers will have no way to know what websites you visit, where you go, or what you are doing while you are online. While there is not currently any scientific way to measure anonymity, the XeroBank network provides the fastest commercial privacy network in the world, while employing sound security techniques. For example, let us say you are a US customer. You use our software to select that you want your traffic to appear to be coming from Switzerland. XeroBank would first route your encrypted traffic from your US location to an entry node, perhaps in Canada, then across the Atlantic Ocean and out from a node in Switzerland. Your XeroBank traffic never exits from the same country it entered. This technique makes it difficult for an ISP to analyze the traffic because it travels out of their network. We also employ cryptography where applicable, and we have a no-logging policy regarding customer activities. Subsequently, XeroBank does not have specific client data to share with network providers, legal authorities, or law enforcement of any jurisdiction. However, we can track criminals and scammers if we are determined, but any individual or corporation would have an exceedingly hard time trying to do it themselves, and it would be virtually impossible to force us to do it against our will.

(Q) Who are you intending to pick up as a customer by offering such a privacy service? Who needs this kind of protection?

The sad fact is that everyone needs this level of protection. Too often we assume that our financial affairs, purchases, phone calls, emails, surfing habits, and messages are secure from prying eyes. The reality is that all of these pieces of information can be compromised at many levels and likely have been already. We believe in the inherent right to privacy of all people, and our services strive to manifest this right with easy-to-use solutions. With XeroBank, you put an end to everyone who would like to gather data about you, your family, or your business. When they try to bite down on your data, they will only get a mouthful of encryption.

(Q) Tell me about the XeroBank Client Secrecy Guarantee that I find on your web site. Why do you have one?

The XeroBank Client Secrecy Guarantee is the first document of its kind. Unlike other privacy policies which state what a company plans on using your personal data for, our Client Secrecy Guarantee asserts how your data will be protected. All other major anonymity providers are subject to US interference and tampering, so when someone comes along and requests your information from them, they have no choice but to comply. XeroBank is immune to such tactics because we are incorporated in the Republic of Panama. Since we are an international company and offer privacy protection services not only to individuals, but to companies and governments as well, we must be very democratic in our relationships.

(Q) The xB Browser: I´ve been using the free version for some time now, but how exactly does it work? How did this product evolve?

xB Browser started life back in 2006. I wrote it for a human rights organization called Hacktivismo, which focuses on anti-censorship and privacy. The browser allows people to create secure connections, blocking anyone from seeing what you are doing. The software can even be installed onto USB, so you can take it anywhere. After the project was picked up by XeroBank, we began designing the next generation of anonymous browser.

Today xB Browser offers an impressive set of features. When you combine it with the XeroBank network, you can experience the internet and its rich media at broadband speed, without leaving tracks tracks or compromising your privacy. Additionally, we´ve added some rather sophisticated features that even most anti-spyware lack, such as removal of Flash cookies.

(Q) What other software do you provide?

We will be releasing xB Mail, which will operate in the same way as xB Browser, except it will be used for e-mail. Naturally it is designed with XeroBank´s network in mind, but it is a universal mail client based on Mozilla Thunderbird. It performs PGP encryption and connects to our anonymous mail servers. Again, you never have to worry about sending mail in the clear, as our servers only accept encrypted connections.

We also offer a secure operating system called xB Machine. It is a hardened Linux system that looks and acts like Windows, so it is easy for everyone to use. It can run on Mac, Linux, or Windows when you use VMWare. We will be releasing a new version of it in a few weeks that is standalone, doesn´t require VMWare, and can also be booted from CD, if you don´t trust your host operating system. This software is used for critical financial transactions that must stay anonymous and private. The technology involved is highly resistant to hacking and spying, even in the most hostile environments.

(Q) Where are your servers located that handle all this traffic?

XeroBank servers are scattered in data centers around the globe. Our unique network design allows us to fearlessly operate in any country in which we choose to deploy servers. All servers are virtualized, encrypted, password- and key-encoded, and security-hardened. If servers are tampered with or unplugged, they will not run. If someone was to attempt to steal our servers, it would render no useful or unencrypted data.

(Q) I know countries like China have been big on censorship and blocking communications within their country. Can you offer services to people in these types of countries where the government is clearly anti-freedom?

For those who want to use our services, but are blocked from entry by their ISP or country, we will offer private entry nodes into our network for their XeroBank account.

(Q) What needs do XeroBank privacy products fill, and what do you offer that is different from anyone else?

We offer a level of security and responsiveness, that until recently, wasn´t available unless you were a super-power government with bureaucrats and agencies. With XeroBank, you can have cutting-edge security that you can carry in your wallet.

(Q) Are you referring to your XeroBank card solution? What´s the advantage of that option?

The way it works is like this: you have two cards. The first is your Deposit Card, and that is how you fund your account. This card can have your identity and financial information attached to it without risk. The second card is the Access Card, which is essentially the "numbered account" that anonymously spends the balance you deposited with the first card.

The main advantage is that the Access Card is all you need. You can download our software for free from anywhere, and you use your Access Card number to access your services. Carry it in your wallet, and give additional Access Cards to anyone with whom you want to share your services. With the Access Card you don´t need to remember any usernames or passwords. You aren´t limited to the number of downloads, nor are you exposing yourself to compromise or financial loss if you misplace your card.

(Q) Why are there two cards?

This is because we are literally separating the account from the activities that the account pays for. If your account is for personal use, you keep your Deposit Card hidden, encrypted, or memorized, and you carry your Access Card in your wallet. If you want to share XeroBank with others, you can give Access Cards to whomever. Each card gives them their own anonymous email account and services, which you can turn on, set limits for, and turn off. This design is also well-suited when a business wants to employ XeroBank services. The manager holds onto the Deposit Card and distributes Access Cards to the employees. The manager gets to control the expenditures, and the employees have peace of mind that no one, including the manager, is spying on them.

(Q) How is it anonymous if your financial information is attached?

Great question. Unfortunately, the answer is slightly technical. We designed a new technology called VAULTS, which stands for Variable Anonymous User Letterbox Token System. VAULTS allows you to buy "tokens" using a real identity (the Deposit Card), and drop the tokens off in the "letterbox". Your anonymous account (the Access Card) is the only one that can pick it up and redeem it for services. The transaction is one-way, meaning that we can´t find out which Deposit Card funded an Access Card; that is something only the Deposit Card holder knows.

(Q) Once I have a XeroBank Deposit Card, can I add funds using digital gold?

We will be accepting virtually all digital gold payments, and will be automating payments with Pecunix, eCache, and Loom gold. Naturally, we will also be accepting credit cards, PayPal, and wire transfers.

(Q) How does a subscription to XeroBank work?

In the new XeroBank 2.0 service, launching this month, you will sign up with us and get the first month free. If you decide to keep your subscription, we will bill your card a monthly fee, or you can pay us monthly in gold.

(Q) Why do you accept digital gold and other sorts of digital currency?

While XeroBank is the first serious service geared towards the general population, we have a deep respect for hardcore privacy enthusiasts, because that is where we came from. Privacy and security are not opposing values; they go hand in hand. These principles are manifested in gold as an exchange of value, so we gladly accept it in exchange for our goods and services.

(Q) What other privacy solutions does XeroBank offer?

We have developed equipment called CryptoRouters that allow you to anonymize and encrypt your entire home or office without any software at all. Plug our CryptoRouter into your network, and all normal connections will be automatically encrypted and routed into XeroBank. They can handle up to 250 users each and will support wireless connections as well.

We will also be offering dedicated servers for leasing to businesses that need their own XeroBank-protected anonymity, storage, mail, and VoIP servers. They will be able to brand their own domains and websites onto these servers, in addition to picking custom entry and exit nodes. We will also provide camouflage services that will create custom entry nodes into our network that appear to be generic websites.

(Q) Lastly, why go with the name, XeroBank?

Quite a few people have asked that question. The reason is that we bring back the lost ethic of banking secrecy, but instead of financial banking, we focus on data banking. Our customers are clients with numbered account and not just users with names. XeroBank is passionate about customer privacy and data secrecy, and we set the highest standard for all institutions. We understand that your information isn´t just data, so we empower individuals to take back their privacy.

DGC Magazine