Samsung Electronics announced its solutions have been approved by the United States government as the first NIAP-validated consumer mobile devices to handle the full range of classified information. After completing ten Memoranda of Agreements (MOAs), the government added the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition), Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Tab S 8.4, Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and the Galaxy IPSEC Virtual Private Network (VPN) Client to the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Program Component List.
This accomplishment is the direct result of Samsung’s successful testing and certification under the U.S. government’s Common Criteria Mobile Device Fundamental Protection Profile (MDFPP) and VPN Protection Profile (VPNPP) programs. The listed Samsung devices are available for use with classified government networks and data. All devices and capabilities incorporate security features powered by Samsung KNOX.
“The inclusion of Samsung mobile devices on the CSfC list proves the unmatched security of Samsung Galaxy devices supported by the KNOX platform,” said JK Shin, CEO and president of IT and mobile business, Samsung Electronics. “At Samsung, we continue to address today’s increasingly complex security challenges, and are committed to delivering the most reliable mobile platform satisfying the needs of professionals in all industries, from SMBs and enterprises to governments and additional regulated markets.”
Earlier this year Samsung mobile devices were officially included on the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Department of Defense Approved Products List for Sensitive But Unclassified use. The CSfC list for high security solutions supplements the DISA listing, enabling the U.S. government and its contractors to create composed solutions meeting the full range of U.S. government security objectives. Samsung is the only manufacturer with mobile devices on both lists.
Source: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
MacDailyNews Take: By SteveJack
U.S Government Intelligence. The oxymoron that keeps on giving.
Why would the U.S. government choose an insecure mobile operating system on devices from a South Korean convicted infringer of a U.S. company’s patented intellectual property over said U.S. company’s vastly more secure products?
Could it be due to the fact that Google has already inserted some U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) code into Android while Apple does not accept code from any government agencies for any of their operating systems or any other products?
Nah, couldn’t be. That doesn’t make any sense at all. I must be craaazzzy!
I long for a simpler time. A saner time. A time when rewarding foreign companies that have been convicted of repeatedly and blatantly stealing intellectual property from U.S. companies with contracts financed with U.S. taxpayer money would be utterly unthinkable, not rubber-stamped.
Along with U.S. taxpayers who value their hard-earned money, any U.S. representative worth his or her salt should be livid right about now. That only one or two might be (if we’re even that lucky), is a pitiful testament to the absolutely clueless, generally moronic, and largely worthless dreck that fouls the houses of the U.S. Congress today.
Will some U.S. Congressperson or Senator finally luck out and stumble into a clue, then stand up and ask WTF is really going on here?
If not, a plague on both your houses, you unpatriotic fools.
U.S. citizens, contact your U.S. congressperson here.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, former web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
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