Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Boeing’s Black secure handset clears FCC, comes with ability to self-destruct

Boeing’s handset runs on Android and comes with the ability to self-destruct if tampered with.



Boeing announced that it was working on a secure handset last year, with an eventual release later this year. The handset will be a “sealed device” and will require users to sign an end-user nondisclosure agreement. The device will primarily be sold to government agencies and Boeing mentions that the nitty gritty details of the handset will not be divulged to the general public.

The device recently made its way to the FCC, and its filing indicates the same: “Boeing’s Black phone will be sold primarily to government agencies and companies engaged in contractual activities with those agencies that are related to defense and homeland security. The device will be marketed and sold in a manner such that low-level technical and operational information about the product will not be provided to the general public.”

Boeing’s counsel Bruce Olcott announced that since the Black is a sealed device, any attempt to tamper with internal hardware of the device would render it useless. “There are no serviceable parts on Boeing’s Black phone, and any attempted servicing or replacing of parts would destroy the product. Any attempt to break open the casing of the device would trigger functions that would delete the data and software contained within the device and make the device inoperable.”

The Black, then, is a device with which Boeing aims to steal a chunk of BlackBerry’s enterprise market share. BlackBerry’s handsets are widely used in the government circles, with the Canadian organization announcing a new contract for 80,000 handsets that will be used by government agencies for secure communication. Samsung is also making a play for more market share in this segment by launching a newer version of its Knox security utility, which in conjunction with the Galaxy S5 allows users to add two-factor biometric authentication. Knox 2.0 also comes with better sandboxing features and allows IT admins to better control the software that is installed on a user’s device.

But Boeing already has a headstart in this field. It is the second largest federal contractor, after Lockheed Martin and followed by General Dynamics. The organization announced a $2.4 billion Navy deal yesterday that sees it provide the U.S. Navy with 16*P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft. Boeing’s strong ties with several defense agencies means that it would be relatively easier for it to convince agencies to use its secure handset.

Since Boeing’s Black is a sealed device, entire hardware details aren’t available, but the FCC filing does indicate the presence of the usual features: It has dual-SIM card slots that accommodate micro-SIM cards, works on GSM, WCDMA, and LTE networks, has a removable battery and comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI connectivity.

Source: FCC



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