Lavaboom is a new service that is expected to launch in private beta this week, making encrypted emails accessible to everyone.
The new service is based in Germany and was founded by Felix Müller. To clarify, Lavaboom is not associated in any way with Lavabit (the email service used by Edward Snowden that was shut down after unbearable pressure from the US government). The name Lavaboom was simply chosen to pay tribute to its predecessor.
Lavaboom is a free service, with a mailbox size of 500MB, governed by three core principles: end-to-end encryption, “zero knowledge” privacy protection, and three-factor authentication.
The company states that its goal is to make encryption as “simple as sending a regular message”, so anyone can use it.
Regarding user authentication, besides using a username and password, users can log in using a YubiKey or a code that will be sent to their mobile phone. Users can also use all three protection methods simultaneously.
Although the service is free, there are additional Premium and Plus services for those who need extra storage space.
You can register for the service from here.
