U.S. Military Chose Android for Tactical Ops

[techguy378]

[citation][nom]K2N hater[/nom]Wrong. Anything is safer than Android, even iOS. Actually a smartphone is not needed to handle GPS and texting some coordinates.[/citation]
Yet another misinformed Apple fan. Android has been more secure than iOS since the beginning. Simply telling people what apps they can and cannot install on their smartphone like Apple does will not make a phone more secure.

 

[servarus]

[citation][nom]techguy378[/nom]Yet another misinformed Apple fan. Android has been more secure than iOS since the beginning. Simply telling people what apps they can and cannot install on their smartphone like Apple does will not make a phone more secure.[/citation]
Not to forget, Apple keeps location data. It could be fatal to the army.

 

[Parsian]

Android is a good choice simply because it is an open source and it can be modified to match their need.

 

[Guest]

So since Android is based off a open source code. Is this not a more security risk then a proprietary OS? Is the military just getting cheap?

 

[randomizer]

So since Android is based off a open source code. Is this not a more security risk then a proprietary OS?

It is and it isn't. Being open source means that both malicious software developers and the military are able to find security exploits by viewing the code. In the case of a closed source OS, it's a race to see who can poke and prod the software to make it break first.

I can only see these phones being a problem.

Facebook status update: "Just blew up a train station LOL"

 

[palladin9479]

Wow lots of uninformed individuals. Army is going to use this and attach to the JNN not a regular cell network. I can also see them implementing spread spectrum frequency hopping with the same encryption methods used on the SINGARS line. Would make triangulation, interception or interruption impossible. Synched with the appropriate weapons platforms, FBCB2 and ABCS this could be a pretty fcking destructing device.

For those uninitiated in how signal works I'll try to break it down. US military radios use a technique called spread spectrum frequency hopping, the radio switches frequencies in excess of 100 times per second. All the radios on any given net switch at the same time to ensure consistent communications. On top of this the actual signal is encrypted with stuff you can't get in the civilian world. The keying material for the system is handled in an extremely rigid system that forces accountability of every key from birth (at the NSA facility) to death (monthly destruction by the site COMSEC custodian). Keys are frequently changed out and multiple keys are used in a SSFH mode. The exact sequence is randomized by the frequency manager and made into something called a "loadset" that is loaded with its accompanies COMSEC into each radio prior to use and then reloaded every crypto period (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) depending on the mission. The JTRS will be replacing the SINGARS eventually.

So no, the enemy can't intercept or otherwise disable this system. The only option is a complete radio white noise jamming. This will disable all wireless communications, both friendly and enemy, and paint a big red target on the jamming site that everyone in 100km will notice.

Also because this is an open source OS, they will have people pouring over every line of code and validating it as secure. Specifically it must meet FIPS 140-2 compliance before it can become a DoD communications system. Then the specific Program Management Office (PMO) for this will customize it and modify it to work with the JNN and other DoD networks. When they get finished its underlying system won't remotely resemble a consumer grade cell phone. I'm willing to put money that the Open Source was the biggest reason they went with this. It gives the DoD maximum flexibility to modify and integrate the system, without having to worry about vender's throwing tantrums (Apple / Palm / Blackberry).

 

[figgus]

[citation][nom]wcooper007[/nom]Okay so i really like this idea and people you really think there going to have this running on a public network. Please LOL. Okay so i was a 14E in the army and we had our own networks we attached to we didnt use any sort of public network for anything its very easy to attach a "short range" cell tower to a vehicle or a group of vehicles ohh and lest us not forget the predator that can be equiped with a reciever and that can fly for a total of 24 hours.. and thats just the stuff we know about please understand that the government has there own versions of Operating systems they actually have a government edition of XP that is 3 times more secure than the crap we use and they also have computers that are using processors and other forms of computer hardware that is anywhere from 3 to 5 years newer than what we use.. just look at the date stamped on your current core i7 2600 there made in 2009... so this is great news just think about what can be done with this they could create spy drones that could mark snipers on roofs and send the info to googlemaps on the ground pounders droids and than they know exactly where it is.. this is amazing tech i hope it all works out[/citation]

Do you think the government runs a super secret hidden fab to make those chips, plus the motherboards and ancillary devices? Or did we just steal that tech from the crash in Roswell?

Seriously, you think the government isn't using commodity hardware? With the speed that computer tech depreciates, they would never actually stay ahead of the curve without a MASSIVE fab to completely renew all their machines every couple years, with that mythical new tech they make.

They probably have a locked down version of XP, they probably DON'T fab their own i7's.

 

[WyomingKnott]

"U.S. Military Chose Android for Tactical Ops"
From that title, I thought that they were going to send a humaniform robot into combat.

 

[Trueno07]

The main reason they would want to use android is that they can strip it, and rebuild it the way they want and not get sued.

 

[Nakal]

I'm sure there is a company or patent troll out there that would find a reason.

 

[CTT]

"has there own versions of Operating systems they actually have a government edition of XP that is 3 times more secure than the crap we use"

Not so much a different version, just a standardized hardening that you could do on your home machine tbh, and its mostly Vista and 7, not XP.

palladin hit the nail on the head really.

 

[scuba dave]

[citation][nom]palladin9479[/nom]Wow lots of uninformed individuals. Army is going to use this and attach to the JNN not a regular cell network. I can also see them implementing spread spectrum frequency hopping with the same encryption methods used on the SINGARS line. Would make triangulation, interception or interruption impossible. Synched with the appropriate weapons platforms, FBCB2 and ABCS this could be a pretty fcking destructing device.For those uninitiated in how signal works I'll try to break it down. US military radios use a technique called spread spectrum frequency hopping, the radio switches frequencies in excess of 100 times per second. All the radios on any given net switch at the same time to ensure consistent communications. On top of this the actual signal is encrypted with stuff you can't get in the civilian world. The keying material for the system is handled in an extremely rigid system that forces accountability of every key from birth (at the NSA facility) to death (monthly destruction by the site COMSEC custodian). Keys are frequently changed out and multiple keys are used in a SSFH mode. The exact sequence is randomized by the frequency manager and made into something called a "loadset" that is loaded with its accompanies COMSEC into each radio prior to use and then reloaded every crypto period (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) depending on the mission. The JTRS will be replacing the SINGARS eventually.So no, the enemy can't intercept or otherwise disable this system. The only option is a complete radio white noise jamming. This will disable all wireless communications, both friendly and enemy, and paint a big red target on the jamming site that everyone in 100km will notice.Also because this is an open source OS, they will have people pouring over every line of code and validating it as secure. Specifically it must meet FIPS 140-2 compliance before it can become a DoD communications system. Then the specific Program Management Office (PMO) for this will customize it and modify it to work with the JNN and other DoD networks. When they get finished its underlying system won't remotely resemble a consumer grade cell phone. I'm willing to put money that the Open Source was the biggest reason they went with this. It gives the DoD maximum flexibility to modify and integrate the system, without having to worry about vender's throwing tantrums (Apple / Palm / Blackberry).[/citation]

So if the military is so brilliant, and has such amazing technology, and etc...

Where was that stuff when the Wiki-Leaks scandal happened eh? Nothing is foolproof, and the systems, and tech, while they sound fancy and all.. Really aren't. And that's coming from a tech that actually used to work on some of those systems, including SINCGARS, SHF/EHF satelite comms, HF/VHF/UHF comms, as well as a very shoddy underwater comm system. Just because it sparkles, doesn't mean its all that great man.

 

[TheCapulet]

[citation][nom]scuba dave[/nom]So if the military is so brilliant, and has such amazing technology, and etc...Where was that stuff when the Wiki-Leaks scandal happened eh? Nothing is foolproof, and the systems, and tech, while they sound fancy and all.. Really aren't. And that's coming from a tech that actually used to work on some of those systems, including SINCGARS, SHF/EHF satelite comms, HF/VHF/UHF comms, as well as a very shoddy underwater comm system. Just because it sparkles, doesn't mean its all that great man.[/citation]
What are you talking about? Wikileaks released some incredibly old AAR's, leaked physically from an American soldier, that had nearly all of the important information highlighted out before they even got their grubby little hands on it. Your argument makes no sense at all.

 

[palladin9479]

Scuba dave is just a troll, its pretty obvious. The wiki links thing was an insider threat vulnerability, unfortunately there is nothing you can do about that. They guy already passed the requirements and screening for a security clearance, and didn't have any ties to any known terrorist organization or have any outstanding debt that needed paying off. He had access to classified information and abused his access rights by copying the data, then off loading it onto a CD-ROM (the only approved method of transportation of classified data from one system to another). He then hid that CD-ROM inside a music case and walked out with it. He got away with this because of lack of supervision,

He broke a number of federal laws along with violating multiple parts of the UCMJ. This kid is going to jail for a very very long time, he'll be an old man by the time he gets out. He's being handled by the military justice system and its pretty hard on people who knowingly commit espionage / sedition.

As for DoD "software" and "hardware" actually yes there are some things that are DoD only. In the USA high encryption is considered a weapon and is regulated as a weapons and subject to arms export control laws. There are a whole line of hardware encryption devices that are produced for the NSA to be used on secure government networks. These are produced by defense companies using a combination of COTS and GOTS with their own secret sauce thrown in. An example is the KG-175 TACLANE HAIPE network encryption device. There is also the Global Command and Control System (GCCS) a mixture of COTS and GOTS. The COTS part is Solaris 10, BEAWLS and ORACLE, the GOTS is the DIICOE, ICSF and several specialized applications. Its all running on a Sun SPARC server with the current generation being on T5220's and T6000 blades.

The government tends to use Windows XP in the secure world, but this isn't your average COTS XP. Windows XP is actually a very secure OS, it just comes from the factory configured in a very insecure yet user friendly setup. Once you've run DISA STIG's and Gold Disk against it that all changes. You then keep it up to date using RETINA scans and IAVA patchs. By the time your done setting up the base image a mouse's fart couldn't get through it, but it then requires a specialized IT staff to manage rather then just Grandma. DoD is looking to move to Windows 7, Vista was approved last year for wide deployment and all the specialized programs are being tested against it. It'll take another year or two before you actually see it on the big networks. It takes multiple years before things are allowed on a DoD network. First NSA has to look through it, then once its received its certificate of net-worthiness the individual department program management offices (PMO) have to go over it and make it work with their products. Then its field tested and modified even more. Then its finally put on a road-map for future deployment, and eventually it is. To put this in perspective, DoD finally went from Solaris 8 to Solaris 10 in 2008. Just let that sink in a little bit first.

 

[Guest]

Casio Commando can, and does.