“Russian government officials have swapped their iPads for Samsung tablets to ensure tighter security, the telecoms minister told news agencies on Wednesday,” AFP reports. “Journalists spotted that ministers at a cabinet meeting were no longer using Apple tablets, and minister Nikolai Nikiforov confirmed the changeover ‘took place not so long ago.’ “He said the ministers’ new Samsungs were ‘specially protected devices that can be used to work with confidential information.'”
“Nikiforov denied that Russia was clamping down on US technology in response to Western sanctions imposed over its takeover of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. ‘We are not proposing any sanctions,’ he said,” AFP reports. “But he did mention reading reports that ‘American special services… will significantly increase the volume of information they intercept (which) of course causes serious concern to many governmental clients.’ He added that South Korean firms such as Samsung, along with Chinese ones, could be interesting to Russia in this respect.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
The formula ‘Two and two make five’ is not without its attractions. — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “botvinnik” for the heads up.]
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…’new Samsungs were ‘specially protected devices that can be used to work with confidential information.’”
Picture me heartily laughing myself into hysterics.
Number of the week: list of malicious Android apps hits 10 million @Kaspersky Lab, in Russia.
‘You shall know them by the shoes on their heads.’
The Russian government’s spy app, number 10,000,001.
Derek, as much respect I have for your posts here , I must point out a few things.
Android, as much as I hate it, does have an advantage over iOS in this instance.
The Russians need only get the latest source code (which is free) and then fork it to their own ends.
They can harden it against malware and create their own app server and block it from using any other.
This is not possible with iOS and Apple devices.
As a comms and security guy professionally, I would probably do the same thing. Although, I would make sure my developers were smart and literate in security issues.
Nothing is all things to all problems. As much as I admire apple and use it’s products (MBP, iPad Air, iPhone 5, there is room for others to excel.
Besides, we are talking about a few hundred devices – WGAS ( who gives a shit)
Ha ha ha, you are such a dickhead to suppose such crap. I’m a long time supporter and evangelist for apple.
I have fought many battles with corp it depts to include their devices.
Fuck you and your idiotic criticism
You are completely wrong, if you read my previous posts here you would see that I anything but a Samsung troll.
I deplore Samsung’s ip theft and it’s continuing immoral and illegal behaviour.
But, I am not blind to where appropriate tech is used to address specific needs.
Apple ( who I love ) don’t cover every possible need. Sometimes other tech is more appropriate for a particular issue.
If you think apple can address every issue in the wide world of info tech you are seriously deluded.
Can Apple compete with Cisco re wifi tech ? no.
Can Apple compete in the server space ? No, Mac mini server vs MS server or Linux ? Don’t be idiotic.
Apple does what it does better than anyone else. This why I have an iPhone, MacBook Pro and an iPad Air.
Nothing comes close to the ecosystem of devices that Apple have achieved.
But we are talking about consumer devices. Large scale environments are another matter.
Recent moves by apple re their corp deployment show that apple are serious about IT concerns which is a good move.
In other words, you have missed my point because you are a idiot or have another agenda.
How about addressing the points I made.
You show your odiously with your lame accusations.
Dammit, I meant “idiocy”
You are not Derek so I completely ignore your fatuous post.
If the hardware can deal with the individualized Android, I see your point. Blocking the use of public app servers is an terrific advantage.
On the iOS side:
– There is no need to block public sources of apps, as long as the device isn’t cracked/jailbroken. By default, no malware. (Although Apple’s record is not perfect. I wrote this month about a fake and reportedly dangerous version of the Tor Browser sitting on Apple’s App Store for months, despite Apple being warned).
– There is no worry about iOS devices being capable of running the latest iOS updates, as long as the hardware is from the last few years.
– Apple provides Apple Configurator for iOS devices. Apple offers web documentation about how to use it for individualizing and protecting business iOS devices:
https://www.apple.com/support/iphone/business/
https://help.apple.com/configurator/mac/1.5/
Apple Configurator allows you to deploy iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV devices in your school or business. You can use Apple Configurator to quickly configure large numbers of devices with the settings, apps, and data you specify for your students, employees, or customers.
You can use Apple Configurator to set a variety of iOS device settings, including:
• iOS updates
• Lock screen and wallpaper
• Device name
• Installed apps
• Installed documents
• Configuration profiles (including passcode policy, restrictions, Wi-Fi, VPN, and other settings)
• Mobile device management (MDM) solution enrollment
You can also create a backup of the settings, data, wallpaper, and Home screen layout from one iOS device and restore it to other devices.
Therefore, what’s the actual security advantage of using an individualize Android device?
BTW: Thanks for the friendly note. Much appreciated.
You are the embodiment of all the stupidity ever displayed on this site. Bravo, moron. Bravo!
They just adopted the discarded 📱tablets from Olympics that the participants left in their hotel room dust bins…
I say the CIA agent in charge of the disinformation campaign to flip the Russians into a more vunerable tablet deserves a medal and a commendation.
At the time of writing, there have been 56 comments and nobody seems to have noticed that these tablets will be ‘specially protected devices that can be used to work with confidential information.’
It’s not stock Android, so many of the comments made in this thread would not be applicable. I’ve no idea how secure they really will turn out to be, but if the NSA is able to access them, I don’t expect to hear them boasting about it on here.
Fuck off troll
Bite me arsehole
Hahahahahaaahaaaaahaaaaaaaa HAhahaHAHAHahahahaaaa Whoeoeoeoeoehohohohohohohihihihihihahahahaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaaaaaahahahah,
LMAOF
Here We Go:
Silly-Ass U.S. Sanctions on Russia 2014-03!!:
1. US is hypocritical
a. US illegally invaded 4 countries lately without womd etc.
but only to force-feed the US$ past its due date on the world world, that has had too many legit reasons to no longer respect the USA for the extent of its “democratic” abuses/corruption
b. if it weren’t for Russia US would’ve invaded Syria
& maybe instigated WWIII
c. US instigated Ukraine civil war
to be sole oil supplier to EU
as US embassy paid $200-$500/rebel/daily!
see anti-media report: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/269160515203961972/
that is how our tax $ are abused! undemocratically – without our consent! why pay taxes – what a waste!
why not fix our national problems from decadence: infra-structure & education vs bombs & terrorism that WE create?
2. Russia due to stupid US/Western sanctions now retaliates:
cuts US company deals out
i.e. Russian gov. just threw out Apple iPads for Samsung!
verdict:
very stupid US gov: grow up vs remain paranoid – think beyond your macho p size!
Security is NOT Freedom!
Freedom IS Security.
Plus, realize that the more freedom you give people, the happier they are, the less trouble they give the gov…so, stop f’ spying. how about controlling your own paranoia/fear/greed?! shove the cams up your asses! drink your own med!