Pentagon may risk its cyber security to the hackers by exposing its communication network to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) Smartphone and other devices, according to cyber security officials, reports Bloomberg.
On May 2, Suwon a device from Samsung was allowed by Pentagon for use. The mobile uses the secured version of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Android Operating System. The Blackberry devices and tablets running on OS have also been approved by the authorities to be used in Pentagon.
What experts feel?
Pat McGarry, principal systems engineer at Ixia, a network security company based in Calabasas, California said that by allowing the devices like Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) S4 smartphones and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad’s there will be a greater threat to cyber security law breaking.
He said, “It is a debacle, a disaster waiting to happen” as according to McGarry at present there is no single technology that can help Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) Smartphones and tablets to get rid of or protect themselves of new wicked software, which is known as malware.
Approval for Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s devices
The approval might come for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) this week to make available its iPhone’s in Pentagon. Mark Orndorff, a program executive officer at the Defense Information Systems Agency said that the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Blackberry and Samsung devices pose some security risks for unclassified communication being used with the mobile-device management system. He said that required tests will be taken to make sure that these devices are apt to use.
Blackberry more secured
McGarry holds the view that both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) operating systems are more prone to attacks even with a device management system. The architecture of both these phones is different from Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB). The Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung devices can be hacked by the hackers through 3G, 4G WiFi and Bluetooth technologies.
He said that Blackberry has been always designed to make secure end-to-end communications. Ashley Wimberly, a spokeswoman of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) said that Samsung is trying to incorporate the features, which are required to make it less prone to cyber attacks and is keen to do business with the U.S. military.
Orndorff wrote in a mail that no device will be allowed inside the department to be connected to its network unless a secure device management system is in place. Pentagon is looking forward to make a contract to build and operate the management system towards the end of June.
Both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) want to break in the region ruled by the Blackberry, which has sold 600,000 devices to 470,000 employees of U.S. military. The units Blackberry sold in U.S. military department is just a fraction of the company’s subscriber base of 76 million globally.
