Lavabit reinstates service briefly so users can download emails, change passwords
Email provider Lavabit shut down in August due to government pressure in the wake the Edward Snowden leaks, but it is apparently re-opening -- for a little while. A press release issued by Lavabit indicates that there's a two-step process, with step one giving users a chance to change their password (which started at 8PM ET tonight). Step two kicks in on October 17th or 18th and will let users download an archive of their stored messages and personal account data. The password change is in response to information that the company's SSL certificates have been compromised by the investigation. User's accounts should be secure under a new key after their passwords are reset, not to mention the bonus of having access to their data again. If you had an account, it's accessible at Liberty.Lavabit.com, those interested in founder Ladar Levison's legal battle can provide support at Rally.org.
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Oct 14, 2013 19:00 ET
Lavabit to Briefly Reinstate Services for Data Recovery
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning today, Ladar Levison, founder of Lavabit LLC, will begin the process that will allow former users of Lavabit to briefly access their account and recover data lost from the initial shutdown.
To begin this process, the user will first be allowed to change their password during a 72 hour period, beginning tonight at 7:00 PM Central. This step was created due to recent events in the news that have lead people to believe that their account information may have been compromised. If users are indeed concerned that their account information has been compromised, this will allow them to change their account password on a website with a newly secured SSL key. Following the 72 hour period, Thursday, October 17th, the website will then allow users to access email archives and their personal account data so that it may be preserved by the user.
This comes in the wake of the abrupt shutdown of Lavabit this past August, wherein many were left without a way to access their sensitive data. For those who used Lavabit's email service, they were left without a way to access information after the shutdown. When asked about how his users felt about the loss of personal data, Mr. Levison said "I'm in the same boat as them. I used my Lavabit email account for 10 years. It was my only email account."
Former users are advised to visit the website https://liberty.lavabit.com to begin the process of recovery.
For more information, contact the LLDF at legal@lavabit.com, or (703)291.1999. To support Mr. Levison in his court battle, please visit https://rally.org/lavabit
SOURCE Lavabit LLC
