SA company creates 'hack-proof' cellphone cases

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio company has created a new product that aims to thwart cellphone hackers and those wishing to compromise the private information on your phone.

Vysk, founded in 2012, launched a series of cellphone cases that are capable of encrypting photos, phone calls, and shuttering a smartphone's camera.

"Everyone is concerned about three things on their phone: their pictures, their texts, and their camera, because those are the three most vulnerable things," said Victor Cocchia, Vysk president and CEO. "We have software on our computers, we work behind firewalls, there are security stacks on the cloud. There's all this protection, but on our phone there's nothing. And that's why it's the easiest target for people who are trying to do something nefarious."

Vysk cases are available at most major retailers for the iPhone. Cases for Android devices are coming soon.

The three models currently available -- the Privacy Case, the EP1, and the QS1 -- range in capabilities as well as price, with the higher-end model retailing for $229.  The basic model, the Privacy Case, retails for about $39.

Though you may think it's a little more than you need, Cocchia said, that's not the case.

"It's not celebrities, it's not CEOs, and it's not politicians that are getting hacked. It's everyday people," Cocchia said. "These tools are being used by cybercriminals to go after normal people because they don't take the time to protect themselves. They don't think that they're important enough to protect."

Even if you don't have a case, Cocchia reminds all cellphone users to be careful what you download, only connect to Wi-Fi you're familiar with, and watch what apps you access.