Posted on 26 Sep 2025 |

Meet the privacy HIROHs

Over the past few days, you have been wondering who’s behind our new smartphone: the HIROH phone powered by Murena.

This new device is not only privacy-focused but also made of high-quality materials, ensuring a long-lasting and premium experience. On a software-level, we’re steadily improving the usability of /e/OS to provide you with a seamless UX tailored to your daily life – without compromises.

In this article, we are speaking to Victor Cocchia, the CEO of Avarana, to explore the story behind Hiroh – its origins, vision, and the innovation driving it forward.

In our next blog article, we’ll take a closer look at HIROH’s technical specifications.

1. Hello Victor, could you please tell us more about yourself and your role at HIROH. What is your mission there and what motivates you to do it?

Victor: Hi Everyone, I am Victor Cocchia, CEO of HIROH. As the CEO I guide the overall direction of the company alongside our CTO Alex Barangan. While I take the lead, I believe the best decisions come from collaboration, so I make sure our entire team has a voice in shaping where we go.

I’ve worked in the security industry for over 20 years, starting out when I was a young guy in the military, where I quickly learned so many things (not just to never be late for chow… or that I could actually sleep anywhere and in any position!), but most of all, just how critical it is to take security seriously. From there, my career shifted toward international affairs, where I’ve had the privilege of working with Presidents, Ambassadors, the intelligence community, and, just as importantly, everyday people from about every corner of the world. Along the way, I came to understand something eye-opening: how easily people dismiss their own privacy. That realization is what drives me today. My mission is simple: building things people might not even know they need, but that quietly protect them in ways they’ll be glad for later.

I hear it all the time: “I’m not special, no one cares what I’m doing.” But then those same people download an app that listens to everything they say and do – because that’s how those apps make money. Your personal conversations, your photos, your habits – sold to advertisers or worse.

This isn’t just about everyday people, it’s about businesses and governments too. Time and time again, secrets and sensitive information are stolen, and the phone in your pocket is often the weak link. That’s why, 13 years ago, I started a company that built one of the first truly secure communication tools. We made it possible to talk, text, share files, even video chat in a secured environment. We did it because people needed it – even if they didn’t realize it at the time.

And that’s still my motivation today at HIROH: to deliver tools that fit seamlessly into everyday life, so you can use your phone like anyone else, but with the peace of mind that your privacy and security are protected at the hardware level.

2. How is the brand HIROH related to your company Avarana? What should our users know about this company?

Victor: So Avarana is the parent company, and HIROH is the product, but somewhere along the way, the two became synonymous, so we generally just use the brand name HIROH (pronounced Hero). I think the best way to let people know about the company is to tell everyone about the genesis of the name HIROH. When we first started this, we wanted to have a name that accurately reflected the nature of our business, to produce products that protected people, while also allowing them to continue to use the mobile products the way that they already have– so that people’s every day phones were also secure and private. We gain so much from our phones, become so productive, so connected, we learn, we play, we share, we do so many things so giving up that productive and letting go of our habits is hard.

So back to the name HIROH. Originally we came up with Hi3ro (HI – roh) as in Hieroglyphics. Why? Because one of the earliest forms of encrypted messages we know of were in ancient Egypt in the form of non-standard hieroglyphics.

Unfortunately the name was often mispronounced and called “Hero” (ˈhɛro)… so we eventually changed it to HIROH… but the genesis of the name is our foundational premise. To create security and privacy products that everyone could use to keep safe from the dangers that our phones present. From stealing our information for consumers, to stealing our state secrets in government (Remember signalgate!!) to stealing our IP and financial information (happens in business all the time). Our phones are the most insecure devices we have, and they go everywhere with us. At HIROH, we want to turn your insecure device into a secure device so that governments are protected, businesses are protected, and families are protected – We don’t want our kids stalked, their information mined, or their locations leaked.

What people should also know about us is that Alex and I are veterans of the secure communications world. Before it was en vogue to deliver a hardware solution to the privacy problem, we were producing the most sophisticated product seen to date. We basically, from scratch, built a phone that went around a phone that was completely and utterly secure. From jamming the iPhones four microphones and physical cameras, to delivering a ten layer circuit board with separate microphones, speakers, and encryption, we ensured that not only could the camera and microphone not be used against you, but that a totally secure phone call could be made that was not vulnerable to interception.

At HIROH we are committed to bringing that same level of innovation to our customers, as well as to ensure that our customers can have privacy and security, while at the same time allowing people the freedom to use their phone to be productive, communicative and social.

Black HIROH phone powered by Murena with /e/OS

The HIROH phone powered by Murena

3. Before HIROH, you worked at Vysk, a company known for its focus on secure communication. What were Vysk’s core specializations, and how did your role there shape your approach to privacy technology?

Victor: As I said earlier, I have been in this business for quite some time, and before Vysk I negotiated a high profile deal that had national security level implications with foreign businesses and governments. I knew that my phones were being listened to, but there was little that I could do. So coming out of that I wanted to attack the problem. I couldn’t understand why more attention wasn’t being paid to the microphone, which is where the vulnerability was. For me, software security solutions were not the answer because first, it could always be overridden by new software attacks, and second, the raw data being captured by the software trying to protect the phone, and the nefarious actors trying to capture it was coming from the same point, the microphone. Nothing could be done to stop it, as encrypting the same raw data that has already been captured wasn’t the solution.

So I came up with Vysk. It was revolutionary in that it attacked the problem at the root… the camera and microphone. I surrounded myself with people much smarter than I was, and came up with something truly revolutionary: The Vysk Case which jammed all the microphones– at the source of the vulnerability. To this day, 13 years later, there still isn’t anything like it.

We built more than half a dozen separate sku’s of this product, and we are very proud of what we were able to accomplish. It gave us an expertise in this industry that few have. It is why we were humbled to be honored with the IAPP’s innovation award that had been won by giants in the tech world before us. Innovation runs in our DNA!

I was fortunate enough to learn from those amazing people and helped shape our strategy, and even come up with a number of patents on new technology. But… and this is what has shaped my current approach to technology and the problem… I found that even if you have the greatest invention, it doesn’t matter if people won’t use it.

I found that people were not willing to give up the convenience, the accessibility, and the functionality of their phone for security and privacy. They didn’t want to put a big case on their phone, and the release cycle for new iPhones was so short that it was impossible to keep up with all the yearly changes. Fast forward to today, supply chains and manufacturing techniques have progressed to the point where it’s much easier to build the entire phone yourself. Couple that with the excellent alternative to Android that is /e/OS and it seemed like the obvious next step. That’s why we created Avarana and the HIROH brand. To create products that deliver the same level of innovation that won us the International Association of Privacy Professionals coveted Innovation Award, while at the same time ensure the products gave people the same user experience, functionality, usability and access that they were used to. At HIROH, my past experience has led us to make the products people will use, and get privacy at the same time…

Your everyday HIROH phone is also your private HIROH phone. Whether you’re in the Government, high states business or moms and dads trying to protect their children.

4. Were there specific privacy risks or real-world incidents that drove the development of your products?

Victor: This is a question I get a lot. After more than two decades working in the circles I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of, I’ve seen firsthand what’s possible and honestly, the things I can’t talk about are what boggle my mind the most. There have been countless real-world incidents that showed me just how vulnerable we all are, every single day. That’s what led to the idea of a kill switch: the simplest, most reliable way to protect people from this kind of attack.

What I’ve learned is that it’s often the most harmless-looking vulnerabilities that get exploited the most. That’s why we focused on securing the camera and microphone, because those are the easiest ways to be spied on. And while it might sound like something out of an Ian Fleming novel, it’s not fiction at all. Commercial spyware platforms like Pegasus and Paragon were built for exactly this purpose. But beyond that, it’s also every app on your phone. They’re designed to listen to what we say, track what we do, and study what we like and don’t like – all so the data can be sold. And the scary part? We actually give them permission to do it. That’s why we knew we had to build a real solution.

5. HIROH isn’t just a privacy-focused phone. It’s a true premium device. Beyond security, what makes the HIROH phone stand out in terms of materials and technology? How does it challenge the industry’s status quo?

Victor: I think anyone that knows me knows how important design, usability and delivering a premium product is. I can tell you that myself, and Rik, COO from Murena spent nearly two whole days just picking out one camera sensor… making sure it was the best one we could possibly get for our customers. There is no sacrifice concerning quality, concerning design, and concerning mateirals… because that is what people want.

Just look at the iPhone and the Galaxy line. People wait for the newest model with so much anticipation because it’s more than a phone, it’s a statement. It is literally part of us. It gets us up in the morning, tells us how healthy we are eating. Goes to work, to school, to the gym, to games, to family events, to significant moments and then goes to bed with us. Why shouldn’t we try to build the best phone possible that will be capturing the special moments of our lives, and helps make us more productive, more social.

Therefore, we don’t compromise on style or quality. From how much time it took to come up with our logo, which is another great story: The Hieroglyphic symbol for the H in HIROH, is a sort of box with a line going up (look at the O in our Hiroh logo) so we connected two hieroglyphic H’s back to back demonstrating our end to end encrypted products which we will debut soon.

This use of the highest quality screen, cameras, processor, the most RAM of any phone (even the iPhone), large file storage, Aluminum Frame and Gorilla Glass rather than plastic– this was all done for the user so they can feel comfortable using their private phone as their every day phone.

It challenges the industry status quo because most private/secure phones are low quality, with outdated computing power, little storage, little RAM, wrapped in plastic and without the apps that people are used to!

That’s also why we love /e/OS. This is an operating system that I and Alex have used before, which is a fork of Android but comes without all of the “Google” base apps that some people do not want on their phones because of the information collected. So, not only will we be running a “deGoogled” operating system that has so many privacy features, it also has access to the largest app store on the market, so people have the FREEDOM TO CHOOSE. I have always said that Liberty is no good without Freedom, and people should be able to be free to have the apps on their phone that they want, even the Google apps if they want. And with /e/OS on the HIROH phone, people can keep their phone deGoogled, and not download mainstream apps… and that’s fine, or they can choose to download all that is in the play store including the Google apps, YouTube, TikTok, etc etc and still, with the flick of a switch, be able to be private and not have their ambient conversations heard and sold!

We wanted to create a phone that was high quality enough that people would use it. That Government officials could go in and meet a President, yet have the functionality to be able to access their email, use a search tool to get an answer, and remain less vulnerable to foreign aggressors.

Same with police – We were at the World Police Summit in Dubai in May, and we have developed a system where a police department could mandate that the employees coming into a station, or ones that go into briefings and meetings that review criminal tactics could take the phone in, but be in lock down mode. They still get all the functionality they need, but nefarious actors can’t see what their plans are. Same for military.

And just as important. A mom or dad can give their child their first premium phone, that has the look and feel of the high quality phones their friends have, but have the piece of mind that when that red light is on, they know their kids can’t be hacked, that apps can’t listen to them and learn all their habits and likes. It is a level of safety for parents and their kids that no other phone can give.

And that’s what we are trying to do at HIROH. Give Security, Privacy and Comfort all in a phone that is familiar and easy to use.