This just feeds the illusion of security. If they are that concerned about electronic surveillance, there is a lot more to consider. For starters, I assume that phones and other electronic devices capable of storing or recording information are stored outside the room? Does the room have electronic countermeasures to protect against the cabinet member that forgets to leave his phone/watch outside? What about secret issue discussed outside of the cabinet meetings? What if they emailed something to Hillary?
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Apple Watch Banned From U.K. Government Cabinet Meetings Over Hacking Fears
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My question was more subtle than that. Two parts:
A) Have all smart watches been banned or just Apple Watch? I'm trying to read the tea leaves as to whether May's government has some specific intel on the Apple Watch or has just deemed any smart watch with a mic to be a threat.
B) Had mobile phones been banned *prior*? I'd like to know if this is an extension of an existing mobile phone ban or something new.
Thank you!
Very well said and I agree 100%, but yet a lot of folks here will still argue this.
Someone here said they go to DEFCON and nOw they're security experts. Literally what a joker. It's just another apple fanboy or sheep protecting their Apple Goddess.
Anything with a microphone, Bluetooth, storage devices, radio waves not permitted in scif. Shoot, not even allowed in Secret places too, depending on which military branch or agency security posture is at. Someone got caught with a phone and got fired on the spot. Of course it was by accidental but when people's lives are on the table, take no risk.
The Telegraph article quoted by MacRumors says "Mobile phones have already been barred from the Cabinet because of similar concerns" suggesting a prior ban. As per Smartwatches, I've no idea but I would imagine it's a blanket ban on all similar devices. There are not that many Cabinet members so there's a real chance that so far, the Apple Watch is the only device of this type to be worn to one of the meetings which could be the reason it has been singled out.
This is why The Internet of Things is a dumb idea. If that means I have to .... gasp .... manually turn the lights on and off and open and close the draps on my own I'm fine with that.
Drapes and lights don't have microphones.
There's no stopping IoT, and that's a good thing.
There's cell phone detectors. TS emails are closed off to the public just like yourself. Anyone caught with a cell phone are fired on the spot. Hilary can get away with murder but you and me cannot. Classified emails are also closed off to the public just like you again. You ask a silly question so you get a silly answer. Lol
There's an Apple Goddess? Does that come with the iPhone 8? Let me guess: it will only be available with the Plus model...
Except that there was no mention of the iPhones those watches are dependent on for everything
The trick with security and spying is not to advertise exploits . In the most secure installations you will not even get a calculator in...prevention is the best approach.
This has nothing to do with android at all. Nor is this a conspiracy against Apple devices . We are talking top secret clearance here. Huge oversight if any personal smart watches were ever allowed.
I'm dying to find out , what is a DEFCON conference? Were they debate adding more numbers ?
Chances are the iPhones connected to it will just be outside the room so may well remain connected to it.
I suspect the phones are also banned, and someone finally clicked that some members wear smart watches .
Methinks you missed the main point of my posts, specifically mentioning smartwatches in general....
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The trick with security and spying is not to advertise exploits . In the most secure installations you will not even get a calculator in...prevention is the best approach.
This has nothing to do with android at all. Nor is this a conspiracy against Apple devices . We are talking top secret clearance here. Huge oversight if any personal smart watches were ever allowed.
I'm dying to find out , what is a DEFCON conference? Were they debate adding more numbers ?
I never stated a conspiracy against Apple watches, I specifically mentioned the phrasing of these articles, where the Apple product is the one that gets specifically mentioned to generate page clicks. That's how "news" works now. The headlines should state "smartwatches banned" but instead Apple's product is the one specifically mentioned.
DEFCON DEF CON® Hacking Conference
First, government security has always been far and beyond corporation security protocols. To the point that they break their own services by overly securing them. Second, corporations aren't even close to the level of security in government, certainly not to the point that they disallow mobile phones and wearables in meetings.
IMHO it is rather tragic to talk about technicalities of what device is and is not allowed, while ignoring an elephant in a room, which is that all of this just further reinforces a human division, breeds fear and fuels an anti-Russian hysteria. If we go off the main-stream media for a day or two and just use our own minds for thinking, we might be able to see quite clearly who benefits from all of this. Ponder just for a moment... Peace.
It's a great way to 'accidentally' leak information and elicit public opinion while also be able to deny something is 'policy'.
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Hell, think of Apple and the level of security they are reputed to employ at their main campus.
And I'm not even talking about all forms of government in all countries. Clearly, they are closing some security loopholes there in the UK Government. Yay them. I don't care what excuse they give, be it Kremlin gremlins or whistleblowers, certain technologies open up security vulnerabilities in certain settings. That's a very basic security tenet that apparently was overlooked until now for the cabinet meetings, and good on the UK govt for recognizing that and doing something about it.
It depends on the corporation and what they're engaged in. I have many friends who are not working for government contractors but who nevertheless can't even have cellphones with cameras at their workplace or within certain zones of their workplace and definitely not at strategic meetings.
Hell, think of Apple and the level of security they are reputed to employ at their main campus.
And I'm not even talking about all forms of government in all countries. Clearly, they are closing some security loopholes there in the UK Government. Yay them. I don't care what excuse they give, be it Kremlin gremlins or whistleblowers, certain technologies open up security vulnerabilities in certain settings. That's a very basic security tenet that apparently was overlooked until now for the cabinet meetings, and good on the UK govt for recognizing that and doing something about it.
It still has a microphone
Such procedures have been hammered out over a century now of electronic warfare.
Any room where Secret/TS/SCI is to be discussed, should have certain countermeasures.
However, not bringing in devices is usually a rule you must follow, as there's no way to protect against everything. That's why devices are banned. Human trust is still required.
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Why are you going on about something as trivial mentioning the Apple Watch? Does mentioning the AW drive more attention than saying generic smartwatches? Yup. That's a knife that cuts both ways. Are you as equally upset when an article appears that states something is compatible with the AW but fails to mention the same compatibility with other smartwatches? Or are you just as upset when an article states Samsung phones can catch fire instead of saying smartphones can catch fire? Did it ever occur to you that the Apple Watch was mentioned specifically because that's the watch that was specifically worn?
Yep, straight out of "The Thick of It" (UK TV parody of British politics, for our US friends)
Although the current goings on in the labour party would be dismissed as 'too ridiculous, even for a comedy show' if presented in a script meeting!