Pentagon to Open Communications Networks to Apple Devices in 2014

[locust76]

Originally Posted by Edsel

The report, "Commercial Mobile Device Implementation Plan" has probably cost taxpayers more than the cost to eventually implement and purchase IOS devices.

Government is the most prolific producer of reports and plans in the universe. They even produce reports on how to produce plans, and produce plans on how to produce reports.

Well, yes... how else are government employees going to know how to produce plans and reports if there are no plans or reports on how to produce plans and/or aforementioned reports? :P

You should get yourself a copy of the US Army Regulation 670-1: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia. It's a 357 page document describing every possible aspect of how a soldier is to dress .

[GermanyChris]

Before we get to far along on beating on the Army, there is a reason Regulations like 670-1 exist beyond setting culture and expectation. It removes subjectiveness from military appearance. All regulations and most TM's do this define expectations. FM's are bit more flexible.

[GuitarDTO]

The U.S. market snuffs their noses at Blackberry (particularly the large financial institutions who short their stock while loading up on Apple), but the Z10 is doing very well overseas thus far. This move by the DOD was obviously coming with so much competition in the industry, but this is merely a fart in the wind as far as Blackberry's turnaround is concerned. It will be blown up by the U.S. financial institutions to be worse than it is though, to drive the stock price down further.

[SmileyBlast!]

Blackberry's attention to security is legendary and that is why it was adopted by Business and the Government.
I don't think that iOS or Android are as hardened.

This move by the DOD surprises me. Are they going to roll their own encrypted communications apps?

Hackers are targeting Android like mad. i wonder how they plan to defend against that?

[magriver]

Here in Norway some companies too are reluctant to let people use iOS devices. I can see the security peoples point of view. I been testing a couple of apps for us on a server for about 2 months, and I'm just one person and it will be about 50-60 users. Of course I like it to work instead of cleaning up, that is the mac way I guess.

[Josh125]

The company I work for is switching to iPhones as well. We have 20M+ employees globally. North America is converting by May 1 with all other to follow. Point being, when you start seeing Fortune 10 companies and government agencies converting, the ship for blackberry sailed into the sunset years ago.

[stevegut78]

Originally Posted by katewes

Is this the Department of Defence just bowing to market pressure to allow the two dominant mobile platforms to be used - or have they really tested iOS and Android to be secure enough? Begs that question whether the decision was made before or after the recent spate of security flaws in iOS 6.1, 6.1.1 and 6.1.2?

Does the DoD allow Microsoft Windows computers - I guess, if they do (as I assume), then really it's anything goes.

LOL hardly. I have personally sat in on meetings between Apple and the DoD. They were always stand-offs because apple did not want to bend to conform to DoD standards with such things as putting an older "certified by DoD standards" OS on new hardware. Apples stance was that when you buy a new computer, you buy it with the latest OS and anything else is unsupported or may not even work. Basically, the accreditation proces is so damn slow that when an OS is accredited, the next release is already out. And with Apple releasing almost annually, we're even further behind. For instance, we just went to Windows 7. We went to Vista when 7 was released commercially. It takes that long. The DoD moves at snails pace and is set in their ways. Apple is a whale enough to not have to bend for them. However, in the R&D world the DoD uses a lot more.

[overcast]

Originally Posted by stevegut78

LOL hardly. I have personally sat in on meetings between Apple and the DoD. They were always stand-offs because apple did not want to bend to conform to DoD standards with such things as putting an older "certified by DoD standards" OS on new hardware. Apples stance was that when you buy a new computer, you buy it with the latest OS and anything else is unsupported or may not even work. Basically, the accreditation proces is so damn slow that when an OS is accredited, the next release is already out. And with Apple releasing almost annually, we're even further behind. For instance, we just went to Windows 7. We went to Vista when 7 was released commercially. It takes that long. The DoD moves at snails pace and is set in their ways. Apple is a whale enough to not have to bend for them. However, in the R&D world the DoD uses a lot more.

That is no different, than any other large corporation. We're finally tipping past the majority of our machines running Windows 7 now. Plenty of XP still out there.

[winston1236]

Originally Posted by GuitarDTO

The U.S. market snuffs their noses at Blackberry (particularly the large financial institutions who short their stock while loading up on Apple), but the Z10 is doing very well overseas thus far. This move by the DOD was obviously coming with so much competition in the industry, but this is merely a fart in the wind as far as Blackberry's turnaround is concerned. It will be blown up by the U.S. financial institutions to be worse than it is though, to drive the stock price down further.

Bb didnt want to design a new phone or change their os so everyone bought something else. Cant release the same phone over and over. Although apple does the same thing they at least update the internals. Not so with bb.

[flat five]

Originally Posted by locust76

Military hardware has been behind consumer technology in terms of speed/power/everything for many, many years now.

you speak the truth! i mean, i can't believe the u.s military is still using hellfire missiles..
get with the program washington!

[quickmac]

So this is a terrible idea. Get ready for massive security leaks and more headaches in the government.

In what world is it a good idea to use Android devices for important or sensitive information? Or use Apple devices when security is top priority? There's nothing wrong with either device, but they're consumer grade devices designed for people who text, make some phone calls, shop online, and play games.

So they will ditch a device and a network with proven dependability and security for consumer grade entertainment devices? And ditch a company that made it's name doing professional grade secure communication devices and networks.

[TheHateMachine]

Originally Posted by Tech198

Android phones ?

Why the hell man,,,,,

Just use iphones.

WHy would you wanna open the door way to open source stuff, on such secure network network. We ain't just talking about ya average consumer here...

Because they can make their own AOSP rom for Android and tweak it as necessary. Duh...

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Originally Posted by overcast

That is no different, than any other large corporation. We're finally tipping past the majority of our machines running Windows 7 now. Plenty of XP still out there.

Wow, we got a QA image of Windows 8 posted last year for our hospitals and are converting our servers over to support it. I am surprised at how fast the Windows 8 change over is going quite frankly.

[Hastings101]

Honestly, I think I'd rather see our military using Blackberry than iOS or Android lol

[GermanyChris]

Part of this is probably to facilitate BYOD..theres been much adieu of cell phones recently at least in my neck of the woods.

[GuitarDTO]

Originally Posted by winston1236

Bb didnt want to design a new phone or change their os so everyone bought something else. Cant release the same phone over and over. Although apple does the same thing they at least update the internals. Not so with bb.

You just stated exactly why Blackberry, and others like Samsung, will be just fine. Apple is doing exactly what you say, releasing the same phone over and over again with only slight improvements, while competitors have been forced to step up their game. Samsung took a chance and ran with the "phablet" approach, and it is paying off. Blackberry was forced to start over, and has developed a pretty nifty new OS that is garnering positive reviews. We'll see if they complete the turnaround.

[spartus4]

I can understand them doing this with IOS devices because of it being a somewhat closed system. Which makes security easier. I don't understand Android. Android is an extremely open system which can sometime be good and bad. Android Apps do not receive the same scrutiny as IOS Apps do, I don't think they receive any but I could be wrong on that. I see Android as a real security threat to the classified systems. i hope I am wrong but if I'm not than this gives China, Iran, and North Korea another way to get into US systems.

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by spartus4

I can understand them doing this with IOS devices because of it being a somewhat closed system. Which makes security easier. I don't understand Android. Android is an extremely open system which can sometime be good and bad. Android Apps do not receive the same scrutiny as IOS Apps do, I don't think they receive any but I could be wrong on that. I see Android as a real security threat to the classified systems. i hope I am wrong but if I'm not than this gives China, Iran, and North Korea another way to get into US systems.

Do you think the play store will be available to classified phones. Classified computers have no access to the internet why would phones be different.

[MrDc2]

Originally Posted by AppleScruff1

Imagine an iDrone using Apple maps taking instructions from Siri? It would probably attack Washington by mistake.

lol nice.

[haddman]

Originally Posted by el-John-o

They are referring to two different networks. The U.S. has lots of different 'terms' defining how sensitive information is. Secret, Top Secret, Classified, Protected, etc. etc. They have both protected, unclassified networks, and secure classified networks.

Although I've only seen the truly secure pentagon stuff (in pictures and stuff) via ethernet. Check out any pictures of the "situation room" or other high profile, highly classified areas within the pentagon. All of the laptops are connected via ethernet (tagged with 'classified' ribbons around the cable).

My younger brother is in the Navy and works in information security and network administration. He says they use ethernet alone for everything classified. So one might think that the 'protected unclassified' would be a form of secure Wi-Fi for devices. Or just a separate network entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if the 'secured classified' network was completely isolated, not physically or otherwise connected to any other network OR to the internet.

Interestingly though, this article makes it seem like the iPhones and Android devices would be connected to what they are describing as 'secured classified'. So maybe they are opening up the classified (or already have) network to Wi-Fi?

Who knows. Sure is pretty interesting though.

There are secure HAIPE encryption devices that allow for connection to classified networks via commercial cell and satellite networks.

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Most organizations will be using Good Mobile for enterprise management. I think many will be supporting BYOD at some point in the future. I work for DoD and we are in pilot mode now, however the devices are so locked down you won't be able to use it for much other than actual work. No safari, no itunes, no apps not approved by the admin etc etc....and if a device gets jailbroken it would be detected by the Good for enterprise server and the device would be locked out.

[Breaking Good]

Originally Posted by SmileyBlast!

This move by the DOD surprises me. Are they going to roll their own encrypted communications apps?

The app exists already. Check out Good for Enterprise in the App Store.

[haddman]

Originally Posted by stevegut78

LOL hardly. I have personally sat in on meetings between Apple and the DoD. They were always stand-offs because apple did not want to bend to conform to DoD standards with such things as putting an older "certified by DoD standards" OS on new hardware. Apples stance was that when you buy a new computer, you buy it with the latest OS and anything else is unsupported or may not even work. Basically, the accreditation proces is so damn slow that when an OS is accredited, the next release is already out. And with Apple releasing almost annually, we're even further behind. For instance, we just went to Windows 7. We went to Vista when 7 was released commercially. It takes that long. The DoD moves at snails pace and is set in their ways. Apple is a whale enough to not have to bend for them. However, in the R&D world the DoD uses a lot more.

I was in some of the meetings at Apple's offices in Reston VA when they were working an early pilot a few years ago...part of of the problem was Apple's refusal to open certain API's of the software to be modified to conform with DISA security requirements.

[AidenShaw]

Originally Posted by haddman

I was in some of the meetings at Apple's offices in Reston VA when they were working an early pilot a few years ago...part of of the problem was Apple's refusal to open certain API's of the software to be modified to conform with DISA security requirements.

But Tim Cook's Apple is reported to be less arrogant and easier to work with than Steve Jobs' Apple.

Maybe The Tim is more flexible with the APIs.

But the real story, which MacRumours doesn't expose in the page-hit headline, is that Android and IOS both come in at the same time.

Sammy must be thrilled.

[George Knighton]

Originally Posted by smallnshort247

Now people won't need to carry a Blackberry & iPhone. Time to consolidate!

I'll be waiting to see if we have to sell an iPhone without a camera, in order to satisfy some of the requirements.

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Originally Posted by haddman

I was in some of the meetings at Apple's offices in Reston VA when they were working an early pilot a few years ago...part of of the problem was Apple's refusal to open certain API's of the software to be modified to conform with DISA security requirements.

The President's Blackberry isn't much of a Blackberry under the skin. I'm sure they'll figure it out.