Apple's iPhone, iPad to be granted Pentagon security clearance next week

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
The U.S. Department of Defense said on Friday that it plans to allow Apple's iOS devices onto the Pentagon's secure network early next week, opening the door for lucrative military contracts currently dominated by BlackBerry.

iPhone 5


Alana Johnson, a spokesperson for the Pentagon?s Defense Information Systems Agency, told Bloomberg that, if approved next week, government-issued devices running Apple's iOS 6 would be granted access to highly secure military networks.

The news comes one week after Apple's smartphone rival Samsung had its Knox-compatible devices cleared for use on DoD systems. That report also noted devices running the latest BlackBerry 10 operating system received certification.

Apple has recently made significant headway in the government sector, and recently saw the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Computer Security Division grant FIPS 140-2 certification to iOS CoreCrypto Kernel Module v3.0, a module found in iOS 6.

While a step in the right direction for Apple, the Pentagon must first build out a mobile device management system in order for iPhone and iPads to proliferate in the secure environment, Johnson said. There is currently no timeline for such a project.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    AI is getting some mileage from this story.
  • Reply 2 of 19
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    They already have Blackberry's MDM and Blackberry recently announced the capability of adding iOS devices to it so there shouldn't be a major problem adding iOS devices to the existing DoD infrastructure. Of course, this means iOS devices will be under the control of the Blackberry system, not the best way of doing things but Apple devices have always had to use non-Apple products to manage them in the government sector.
  • Reply 3 of 19
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    What do they do about the camera?
  • Reply 4 of 19
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Shogun View Post



    What do they do about the camera?


     


    The camera can be disabled in the security profile.  Note that these approvals are just to access sensitive information networks - not anything classified.

  • Reply 5 of 19
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    rob53 wrote: »
    They already have Blackberry's MDM and Blackberry recently announced the capability of adding iOS devices to it so there shouldn't be a major problem adding iOS devices to the existing DoD infrastructure. Of course, this means iOS devices will be under the control of the Blackberry system, not the best way of doing things but Apple devices have always had to use non-Apple products to manage them in the government sector.

    The United States Department of Defense already has Blackberry Enterprise Server 10? Do you have a source?
  • Reply 6 of 19
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MacBook Pro View Post



    The United States Department of Defense already has Blackberry Enterprise Server 10? Do you have a source?


     


    Dunno if they're using it yet, but they approved it:


     


    http://press.blackberry.com/press/2013/blackberry-10-smartphones-approved-for-use-on-u-s--department-of.html


     


    "...the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has approved BlackBerry® 10 smartphones and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets with BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10 to be used on DoD networks."

  • Reply 7 of 19
    Does this mean we can use all our iDevices on planes without security checks, or is it still only the Macbook Air 11" that is exempt from TSA screening?
  • Reply 8 of 19
    Buy American...........
  • Reply 9 of 19


    Uncle Fester isn't even on the map with his Fisher-Price phone. Locked out for the next 6 years, and double that if the government just renews the contract. 


     


    Oh, and the Surface RT & Pro aren't allowed in either. Only the Apple iPad... not Samscum, no one but Apple. w00t!!!!

  • Reply 10 of 19
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Uncle Fester isn't even on the map with his Fisher-Price phone. Locked out for the next 6 years, and double that if the government just renews the contract. 

    Oh, and the Surface RT & Pro aren't allowed in either. Only the Apple iPad... not Samscum, no one but Apple. w00t!!!!

    Wow, I haven't seen a w00t!!!! for a long time! But yep I agree . :D
  • Reply 11 of 19
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,179member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Macky the Macky View Post


    Uncle Fester isn't even on the map with his Fisher-Price phone. Locked out for the next 6 years, and double that if the government just renews the contract. 


     


    Oh, and the Surface RT & Pro aren't allowed in either. Only the Apple iPad... not Samscum, no one but Apple. w00t!!!!



    Reportedly Knox-enabled Samsung tablets as well as Blackberry Playbooks are also on the approved tablet list.

  • Reply 12 of 19
    Dusty old play books really????
  • Reply 13 of 19
    minicaptminicapt Posts: 219member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by scotttrader View Post



    Dusty old play books really????


    Recycled from the Washington Senators and Bullets.


     


    Cheers


  • Reply 14 of 19
    adamcadamc Posts: 583member
    While a step in the right direction for Apple, the Pentagon must first build out a mobile device management system in order for iPhone and iPads to proliferate in the secure environment, Johnson said. There is currently no timeline for such a project.

    So there is a management system ready for android?
  • Reply 15 of 19
    These things take time, but once finally cleared, it will be money well spent.
  • Reply 16 of 19
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DrewPalmer View Post



    Does this mean we can use all our iDevices on planes without security checks, or is it still only the Macbook Air 11" that is exempt from TSA screening?


     


    This story has absolutely nothing to do with your question. And where did you get the idea that the MacBook Air 11" is exempt from TSA screening. That's simply not true and we can already use our iDevices on commercial airlines where permitted. You seem to be really confused or not very knowledgeable.

  • Reply 17 of 19
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AdamC View Post



    So there is a management system ready for android?


     


    Apparently some parts of the DoD are currently using a product called "airwatch" for their Android devices.


     


    However, an RFP was put out late last year for a "Mobile Device Manager and Mobile Application Store" (MDM-MAS) that can support...


     


    "...devices running iOS 5 and newer OS versions as well as Android 2.2 and newer versions. The subsequent versions are to be supported within three months of public release. DoD says it also wants bidders to offer the capability to manage Blackberry OS, Windows Mobile 6, Windows Phone 8, Windows 8 RT and newer Windows versions. The Blackberry and Windows support, however, isn’t an absolute requirement."


     


    In other words, the government eventually wants to have one single MDM that covers all consumer mobile devices.


     


    Article Here

  • Reply 18 of 19
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    adamc wrote: »
    So there is a management system ready for android?

    There is loose collaboration in several government agencies to create a secure government mobile device management solution.

    In some instances though Apple is clearly preferred. While in some instances BlackBerry is preferred. The only other solution appears to be a nonexistent, non-Apple, non-BlackBerry solution.

    There is significant emphasis on platform independent programming whenever possible as well as a platform neutral App Store.
  • Reply 19 of 19
    Wow, I haven't seen a w00t!!!! for a long time! But yep I agree . :D
    Uncle fester /Balmer?
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