When Edward Snowden revealed how the NSA has been spying on people’s online activities, some began looking for ways to protect themselves while using online services. There are some services, such as email, social networks, browsers and so on, that promise to keep people’s identity safe and protected, but people are still looking for safer and more secure ways to protect their data.

So how about a decentralized Internet that works much like Bitcoin does? One where everything encrypted by default and no one knows where your files are at any given time?  Sounds impossible? Nope, not at all.

MaidSafe to the rescue?

MaidSafe is an open-source program that enables a decentralized Internet platform, known as the SAFE (Secure Access for Everyone) Network, to autonomously handle static and dynamic data including communications.

The MaidSafe project announced that there are already 500 developers signed up to create applications for the decentralized Internet network. The main goal of MaidSafe is to offer services that are not only free from government shutdowns and seizures, but also safe from hackers and malicious attacks. Last month, it successfully sold $6 million worth of its software tokens, known as safecoins, in just five hours.

What makes it secure compared to other platforms is that data stored on the network is either encrypted or cryptographically signed by MaidSafe connected applications, and the network itself cannot decrypt any of the data. MaidSafe doesn’t need centralized servers to distribute data on the network, as this data is spread across multiple disks and devices owned and managed by MaidSafe’s numerous different users.

The idea for MaidSafe was originally conceived by David Irvine, who has in excess of 23 years experience in IT and 15 years running companies, and is leading the MaidSafe team in building the base layer services of the network. MaidSafe’s source code is open and hosted on GitHub.

What you need to know about MaidSafe

Although it’s been called the “Bitcoin of data”, MaidSafe has been around far longer than the cryptocurrency. Even so, not many are familiar with it, so let’s go through the basics first.

MaidSafe is made up of two key components: the SAFE Network and the Client Applications. The SAFE Network is made up of unused hard drive space, CPU and communications capabilities of commodity computers and are likely owned by the users of the system, but are not limited to that. It utilizes a block chain-like technology to distribute file storage and services around the globe which means no one person or corporation has an intact copy of a user’s file, just like how Bitcoin’s blockchain works. Each computer will effectively mine for credits or safecoins which can be used to trade for other goods and services on the network.

The Client Applications are what allow users to anonymously and securely access the network via some innovative steps such as Self-encrypting data, Access and create cryptographically secured ID’s on a decentralized PKI, and Self authentication. Client Apps include cloud storage, encrypted messaging, web sites, crypto wallets, document processing of any data provided by any program, distributed databases, research sharing of documents, research and ideas with IPR protection if required, document signing, contract signing, decentralized co-operative groups or companies, trading mechanisms and many others.

If you’re tired of always getting asked for your login credentials when using any service, you’d love the SAFE Network as its clients ensure that users never type another password to access any online services, since it contains many cryptographically secured key pairs and use them to automatically request session management or membership of any network service. Simply put, any website on the SAFE Network can add a ‘join’ button, and when clicked it will sign an authority that allows the user to access the service in the future without typing anything.

Bitcoin similarities

MaidSafe promises to be the Bitcoin of data with its tenets focusing on privacy, security and freedom, just like what Bitcoin delivers to trade.

Bitcoin is supported by miners who solve complex mathematical equations to mint new digital coins, while MaidSafe needs clients or users who will give a portion of their local disk space or persistent memory space to the network where data will be stored.  This space is called a vault, and in return, the client can store an equivalent amount of data to the network.  If a client donates a particularly large amount of space for the network, they can farm for safecoins, which is like Bitcoin miners getting a portion of the minted coin.  For those who do not want to become vault farmers, they can purchase safecoins and use them to trade for goods and services in the network.

MaidSafe also doesn’t need a centralized server for it to operate, much like Bitcoin which draws on the power of its users and their machines to make the system work.

Melissa Tolentino also contributed to this article

photo credits: btckeychain via photopin cc