Admin
The National Security Agency and Defense Department’s Central Security Service released a mobile operating system architecture for commercial smartphones.
The system uses a voice over Internet protocol connection to allow discussion of classified information.
The government agencies issued a document outlining their mobility goals and their plan to develop the operating system on the Android platform.
The agencies plan to use commercially-developed mobile devices to control cost and keep up with the rate of technology advances.
NSA said it will work with industry partners in order to develop security solutions based on commercial products and to ensure systems are protected and reliable.
Devices will be stripped of applications unnecessary for agency employee’s use such as placing insecure calls.
Employees can still use phones for emergency 911 calls but bluetooth, WiFI, GPS and text massaging will be disabled.
Users will also be unable to store documents on the devices.
Voice calls will be protected by a virtual network and with an application-level encryption.
NSA and CSS have already configured 100 phones thus far, Fierce Government IT reports.
NSA recently released security upgrades for Android applications intended provide the Pentagon and other agencies using strict access-control policies with a secure platform.
