Category: Mobile Security

The government has given their approval to the BB10 operating system for running on Defense Department networks.

BlackBerry’s ongoing battle to make its way back into profitability received a notable boost in recent news, as the handset manufacturer’s BlackBerry 10 operating system received the mobile security green light for running on Defense Department networks.

The “full operational capacity” (FOC) designation has now been granted to the BB10 OS.

The Defense Information Systems Agency granted the FOC designation that showed that the mobile security levels were satisfactory for the department’s requirements. That agency is responsible for much of the push for the DoD toward mobility. This makes the company the first one to receive this FOC, and follows on the heels of an announcement made last August, which indicated that the authority would be operating its BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 smartphones with the management solution from BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

This mobile security approval allows government users to access a number of DoD network resources via smartphones.

Because the FOC has now been granted, it means that government users who have mobile devices based on BlackBerry 10 can remain connected with the BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. This allows them to securely obtain access to apps, email, information, and other network resources from the Department of Defense. This, according to a recent news release from the Canadian handset manufacturer.

That company was also the first to receive Assurance to Operate (ATO) from the Department of Defense, and is now the only vendor that has achieved FOC. Now that it has received this new designation, it means that BlackBerry’s DoD mobile security certification process has finally been completed. This has been a lengthy effort that the manufacturer has been determined to achieve.

BlackBerry has long been associated with very highly secured hardware and software products and it has been working with the Department of Defense in the United States for several years. This positive news of its certification has come at a time in which the company has been making a number of strategic moves to recreate itself and return to its former level of profitability.

Legal issues concerning the use of wearable devices attracts notice in Australia

As wearable technology gains more attention, the possible legal issues concerning the use of wearable devices is also attracting more attention from lawmakers in several countries. The Australian Law Reform Commission has begun discussion on how wearable devices could be used for illegal purposes. Google Glass, for instance, could be used to record video and audio without appropriate consent from the subject being recorded. The legal issues that wearable technology has unearthed could prevent the use of devices like Glass in the future.

Organization releases recommendations concerning the legal issues associated with wearable devices

The Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended 47 legislative changes concerning privacy and the use of wearable technology. The organization has suggested that legislation concerning the use of wearable devices to invade someone else’s privacy. Such a legislation would mark the first time the Australian government has taken steps to legally defend the privacy of a single person. The organization is also suggesting the privacy laws be drafted based on those that already exist concerning government surveillance.

Glass has come under fire in the US and elsewhere

Google Glass has been the subject of legal debates throughout the world, but these debates are not always focused on the possibility of invasion of privacy. In some states in the U.S., the use of Glass has already been prohibited amongst drivers. The reasoning behind this ban has to do primarily with the possibility of the device distracting drivers in the same way that other mobile devices do. Glass is not the only wearable device that has come under fire, of course, but it has become the most popular device to receive legal attention.

Legal issues could limit the use of Glass and similar devices

Devices like Glass can easily be used to record conversations and video without consent. These devices can also be used to find out sensitive information about a particular person using facial recognition technology and similar features. Because these devices could be used for potentially malicious purposes, the legal issues concerning the use of these devices in public are beginning to receive more attention.