Our History – The idea for MailTight was born in 2008, as a result of the co-founders constantly being asked to lend their unusual expertise to solve a never-ending array of other people’s email and data security problems. Difficulties ranged from not being able to access email safely or reliably while travelling, to information inexplicably leaking from supposedly “secure” accounts, to hacking attacks and service providers disclosing sensitive communications without offering any legal protection. Those who needed practical solutions ranged from successful entrepreneurs and business people to investors, lawyers, NGO staff, international traders and news-makers – as well as a few people who faced problems when relationships went wrong. What they all had in common was that they expected their existing email system to work reliably and to protect their private information in ways that it didn’t.

What Makes MailTight Different? MailTight was designed from the beginning to be a secure, reliable, global email network. Yet it allows you to continue working with your preferred software and devices, like your iPad, Android phone and Mac or Windows laptop. You don’t need to change your way of working, who you communicate with or ask anyone to install special software. All MailTight users benefit from strong security and privacy. If your correspondent uses MailTight too, then you both have enhanced end-to-end security and privacy.

The entire focus of our business is on security, reliability and privacy, backed by great service and at reasonable cost. Since it is your data and communications, we believe that you should retain control over how you manage it, where you trust to store it and who you trust to share it with – you need trust agility – the flexibility to change how, where and who you trust.

Using the right technologies, tools, processes and policies is only part of the solution. An essential but often overlooked foundation is the legal and jurisdictional structure that is required to ensure that the business, legal entities, data centres and encryption/authentication keys and certificates are organised in a way that provides maximum protection. MailTight uses only world-leading privacy-oriented jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong, Panama, Switzerland and others, for specific and appropriate functions. This contrasts with the traditional countries where much of the world’s email is managed, hosted or where the parent companies operate. These have regulations that – by design or inadvertently – subvert the privacy and security of your communications. Companies are often required to retain copies of your data for long periods and totally outside your control, making your information vulnerable to access by others and available for exploitation, whether by lawsuit, administrative order, hacking or theft.

MailTight charges modest fees to use our secure network and services. Our business model does not include capturing any data, demographics or usage patterns to sell to advertisers – and it never will. The advertiser-funded model is the linchpin of growth for most of the largest internet companies and their email services. It is a simple choice: you trade some or all of your privacy for a free or subsidised service. MailTight’s charges allow us to cover our operational costs, as well the legal and jurisdictional infrastructure that allows us to safeguard your communications and data far more securely. We also invest in keeping our technologies and services secure and up-to-date. Finally, like any business, after investing for the long-term, we operate our business to make a fair profit.

The Team – Our executive team is as multinational as our business. Team members come from Europe, Asia-Pacific and even the tiny island of Bermuda. Each of our executives has more than 20 years of hands-on practical experience, building, deploying and managing serious software products, networks and services at award-winning start-ups and for some of the world’s most security-oriented companies. Past projects founded or led by team members include the internal secure global email system for Switzerland’s largest bank; one of the world’s best-selling email products; the PC platform interface for IBM’s MQSeries secure commercial messaging and queuing software; and large-scale network services for some of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. Through real-world experience, we have accumulated decades of inside knowledge of the technical and legal means required to safeguard privacy and security. But we also follow closely the latest technology changes and threats, as well as shifting legal and political landscapes.

Our management team has a long-term track record of owning, investing in and running successful service businesses, with extensive legal and jurisdictional experience in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, North and South America and the Caribbean. We have learned the value of taking care of our clients, business partners, staff and suppliers. If you would like to know more about us, feel free to contact us – securely and confidentially of course.

The MailTight Team