What is D4TE?
D4TE (Decay 4-Tooth Encryption) is the encryption technology that powers Council's private networks. When you create a network with a passphrase, D4TE transforms that passphrase into a sophisticated key system that encrypts every message before it leaves your device.
The name "4-Tooth" refers to four independent security layers that must all align for a message to be decrypted. This means that even if one layer is somehow compromised, your messages remain protected by the other three.
What Makes D4TE Different
Passphrase-Based Groups
Unlike messaging apps that manage encryption keys on your behalf, Council lets you control access through a passphrase that you share directly with people you trust. The passphrase never goes to Council's servers—it stays between you and your network members.
Multiple Layers of Protection
D4TE doesn't rely on a single point of security. It combines:
The Four Security Layers
- Your passphrase — something you know
- Your device — something you have
- Time synchronization — when you send
- Message-specific keys — unique to each message
All four must work together to decrypt any message.
Future-Proof Security
D4TE uses cryptographic methods that remain secure even against future quantum computers. While this technology doesn't exist today at scale, "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks mean encrypted data captured today could be decrypted years from now. D4TE is designed to resist this threat.
How D4TE Protects You
- You type a message on your device
- D4TE encrypts it using keys derived from your network's passphrase, your device, and the current time
- The encrypted message travels through Council's servers
- Council servers can't read it because they don't have any of the required keys
- Your network members' devices use their copy of the passphrase and their device keys to decrypt
Key Takeaways
- D4TE encrypts messages before they leave your device
- Council servers never have access to your messages or passphrases
- Four independent security layers protect every message
- Quantum-resistant cryptography protects against future threats