Skip to main content

Hack a secure Redact text message, get $15,000

Redact app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Who doesn’t like to be given the opportunity to earn some cold, hard cash? What if we told you that we knew of a way you could earn yourself $15,500? It’s simple. All you have to do is hack a super secure messaging service.

Redact, a messaging service that lets users send texts that delete themselves (like Snapchat), is so confident in its claim that no one can intercept its messages sent between two devices, it’s offering $15,000 if someone can pull it off. Not only does a person have to intercept a message, but he or she will also have to decrypt it and discover what it actually says.

The intercepted message has to be one sent between the company’s two challenge phones, which will be sending texts back and forth from two separate locations. Again displaying its over-the-top confidence, the company will even disclose the locations of the two phones to those who apply for the challenge.

But before you get all excited, be warned: only 20 people will actually be invited to participate. Those who are interested will have to fill out an application by June 1. If you are one of the chosen few, Redact will be in touch for a brief interview, and then assign your challenge date and let you know the location of the two phones you need to intercept.

The company warns non-chosen people not to try to attempt any covert operations; even if you manage to crack the code on two non-challenge phones, you won’t be eligible for the money. Not as fun, right?

Redact is an app currently only available on iOS devices. You can download the app here for $6. Redact claims the app is “coming soon to Android, Windows Phone 8, and Desktops.”

Ready. Set. Hack!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Joshua Pramis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Spending a childhood engrossed in such technologically inspiring television shows like Voltron, Small Wonder, and Power…
iOS 17.5 just launched with a huge security feature for your iPhone
Apple iPhone 15 Plus and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max seen from the back.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus (left) and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Apple has just released the iOS 17.5 update for iPhones, which brings a host of new features. For European Union residents, it enables Web Distribution, which means you can sideload apps from the internet and won’t be limited to the App Store.

Read more
How to schedule a text message on your iPhone
Close-up photo of the Messages app on an iPhone.

Do you often send text messages to a friend or family member across the pond? Or do you want to message someone when you know they’re off work and are able to get to you in a reasonable manner? Maybe you want to send a message every day at the same time, to let your significant other know you’re on the way home and to ask if they need you to pick up anything.

If you said yes to any of these scenarios (or other ones you have in your head), you may be looking for a way to schedule text messages on your iPhone. After all, this is a feature that Android users have, and it can often prove incredibly convenient.

Read more
How to get new emojis on your iPhone or Android device
Emoji reactions on Google Messages running on OnePlus 11.

Text messaging has quickly become the default form of communication on smartphones. Sure, you can give your buddy a call to update them on your plans for the weekend, but it's not quite as quick and streamlined as a simple text. And combined with the ever-growing library of emojis available on iPhone and Android, it's easier than ever to ensure your tone and true meaning are received loud and clear by your recipient.

Read more