Posted by Tsepz_GP
The U.S. Defense Department said it approved use on its networks of Samsung Electronics Co. (005930)’s devices running a secure version of Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android operating system.
The approval allows Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung, the largest seller of smartphones for commercial use, to compete with Waterloo, Ontario-based Blackberry, the dominant mobile device provider to the military.
The Pentagon also gave security approval to Blackberry 10 smartphones and PlayBook tablets, so they may also be used within military networks, according to a Defense Department statement.
“This is a significant step toward establishing a multi- vendor environment that supports a variety of state-of-the-art devices and operating systems,” Lieutenant Colonel Damien Pickart, a Pentagon spokesman, said in the statement.
While the military didn’t specifically mention Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s products in the statement, it said several mobile devices and operating systems are going through the military’s security review and approval process.
The U.S. National Security Agency worked with Samsung to create “Secure-Enhanced Android,” a version of Google’s operating system with multiple layers of software and hardware protection, Tim Wagner, Samsung vice president and general manager of enterprise, has said.
The system, called Knox, lets employers keep corporate and military applications and data in a secure place on a smartphone or tablet, and remotely erase them if necessary. If a worker leaves the company or loses a device, employers don’t need to worry about data being lost, Wagner has said.
While the military has relied on BlackBerrys, which have consistently received federal certification for protecting sensitive data, it has been testing Android and Apple (AAP) alternatives as it seeks more options.
The approval allows Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung, the largest seller of smartphones for commercial use, to compete with Waterloo, Ontario-based Blackberry, the dominant mobile device provider to the military.
The Pentagon also gave security approval to Blackberry 10 smartphones and PlayBook tablets, so they may also be used within military networks, according to a Defense Department statement.
“This is a significant step toward establishing a multi- vendor environment that supports a variety of state-of-the-art devices and operating systems,” Lieutenant Colonel Damien Pickart, a Pentagon spokesman, said in the statement.
While the military didn’t specifically mention Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s products in the statement, it said several mobile devices and operating systems are going through the military’s security review and approval process.
The U.S. National Security Agency worked with Samsung to create “Secure-Enhanced Android,” a version of Google’s operating system with multiple layers of software and hardware protection, Tim Wagner, Samsung vice president and general manager of enterprise, has said.
The system, called Knox, lets employers keep corporate and military applications and data in a secure place on a smartphone or tablet, and remotely erase them if necessary. If a worker leaves the company or loses a device, employers don’t need to worry about data being lost, Wagner has said.
While the military has relied on BlackBerrys, which have consistently received federal certification for protecting sensitive data, it has been testing Android and Apple (AAP) alternatives as it seeks more options.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news[....]-devices-for-military-use.html
Posted by Tsepz_GP
Samsung Galaxy S4 becomes first Android phone to get DoD security approval, beats iPhone to that
Just recently, BlackBerry’s Z10 and Q10 got clearance from the Pentagon for use in the U.S. Department of Defense, and following right after them, now the Samsung Galaxy S4 becomes the next device approved for use in the DoD.
The Galaxy S4 actually beats the iPhone as Apple is still waiting for that seal of approval. Samsung’s Knox security system played a key role in getting the clearance.
Moreover, this approval right works for the Galaxy S4 only, but is expected to spread to all Samsung smartphones in the near future. And what’s best, Samsung was expected to only get later in May.
This makes the Galaxy S4 the first Android smartphone approved for use by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Knox, Samsung’s security system, was introduced a couple of months ago at Mobile World Congress 2013 and is built to help manage using the same device for work and play. Knox basically encrypts certain data like work email, while leaving personal files free from that control.
This makes it easy to use the same device for work without having to worry about your personal files examined by employers.
The Galaxy S4 actually beats the iPhone as Apple is still waiting for that seal of approval. Samsung’s Knox security system played a key role in getting the clearance.
Moreover, this approval right works for the Galaxy S4 only, but is expected to spread to all Samsung smartphones in the near future. And what’s best, Samsung was expected to only get later in May.
This makes the Galaxy S4 the first Android smartphone approved for use by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Knox, Samsung’s security system, was introduced a couple of months ago at Mobile World Congress 2013 and is built to help manage using the same device for work and play. Knox basically encrypts certain data like work email, while leaving personal files free from that control.
This makes it easy to use the same device for work without having to worry about your personal files examined by employers.
http://www.phonearena.com/new[....]l-beats-iPhone-to-that_id42600