SECURE COMMS
Establish the line first. Details come after.
We do not accept sensitive inquiries through unsecured channels. Every engagement begins with establishing an encrypted line. What follows is how.
Primary Protocol
XMPP / JABBER
What is XMPP and why do we use it?
XMPP — also known as Jabber — is a federated, open-standard messaging protocol with no single controlling authority. Unlike Signal, WhatsApp, or iMessage, no single company owns the network or its servers. Messages route through an interconnected web of independent servers and are decrypted only by the intended recipient's device.
We require OMEMO end-to-end encryption on all XMPP communications. OMEMO provides multi-device, forward-secret encryption — meaning even if a session key is later compromised, past messages remain mathematically protected. There is no backdoor. There is no server log of your conversation content. The plaintext never leaves your device.
This is not paranoia. This is the standard for communications where the stakes justify the infrastructure. We use it for every engagement because we do not know, at first contact, which engagements are sensitive and which are not. The answer, in our experience, is usually: all of them.
opsec@dsebkllc.com
OMEMO encryption required. Plaintext XMPP messages will not be read.
Recommended Clients
Gajim
Windows / Linux / macOS. Full OMEMO support. Free and open source.
Conversations
Android. Purpose-built for OMEMO. The gold standard on mobile.
Monal
iOS and macOS. Native OMEMO support. Available on the App Store.
How to contact us via XMPP — step by step
Download a Client
Install Gajim (desktop), Conversations (Android), or Monal (iOS/macOS). All three support OMEMO natively and are free. Do not use a client that does not support OMEMO — the conversation will not be accepted.
Create an Account
Register on any public XMPP server — jabber.org, disroot.org, and others are available and require no personal information. You may also self-host. The account does not need to be connected to your real identity. For sensitive engagements, it should not be.
Add Our Contact
Add opsec@dsebkllc.com as a contact within your XMPP client. Wait for the contact to show as available. Availability is not always immediate — allow up to one business day for the contact request to be accepted.
Enable OMEMO
Before sending any message, initiate an OMEMO-encrypted session. In most clients, a lock icon or encryption toggle appears in the message window. Confirm the lock is engaged and OMEMO is active. Do not proceed until encryption is confirmed.
Initial Message
Your first message should include: your name or pseudonym, the service category (Art, Jewelry, Fixer, or Other), and a request for initial consultation. No asset details, no valuations, no sensitive information in the first message. That comes after the line is established and verified.
Secondary Contact
WEB INTAKE FORM
For those not yet set up on XMPP. This form collects minimal intake data only. Do not include sensitive details, asset descriptions, valuations, or names of third parties. We will use your contact preference to establish a secure line before any substantive discussion occurs.
Operational Security
OPSEC GUIDANCE
These are not warnings for their own sake. They are how sensitive engagements stay clean.
ESTABLISH THE LINE BEFORE THE BRIEF
Do not include asset descriptions, valuations, or the names of third parties in any initial contact. The first message exists only to establish communication. Everything substantive follows inside an encrypted channel. This is not a formality — it is the protocol.
DEVICE HYGIENE
For sensitive engagements, do not contact us from a device or account linked to the matter in question. Use a clean device on a clean network. A public connection you do not habitually use is preferable. Your home WiFi and your primary phone are known quantities to anyone watching. Act accordingly.
XMPP ACCOUNT REGISTRATION
XMPP accounts on public servers — jabber.org, disroot.org, and others — typically require no personal information to register. A pseudonymous account created specifically for this engagement provides meaningful separation from your primary identity. This is recommended for all fixer engagements and any matter where exposure would cause damage.
WE WILL NEVER ASK FOR FINANCIAL CREDENTIALS
We will never request banking credentials, wire transfer details, passwords, or access credentials via any digital channel — encrypted or otherwise. If you receive a message purporting to be from us making such a request, it is not from us. Contact us through a separate channel immediately to report it.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE
Contact us from a device and network you have not used before — a public connection in a location you do not frequent, on a device that has not been in your possession for the duration of whatever situation has created the concern. Establish a new XMPP account from that device. Then contact us. We will proceed from there.