AT&T Encrypted Mobile Voice to bring extra security to Obama's BlackBerry calls
By Darren Murph 
posted July 23rd 2010 3:46PM
posted July 23rd 2010 3:46PM
Yeah, we know that the Prez was once seen rocking a Verizon-branded BlackBerry 8830, but just bend your mind a bit and bear with us. Shortly after lighting up Wall Street with an exceedingly excellent quarterly earnings report, AT&T has announced an Encrypted Mobile Voice service that'll hit later in the year. Assuming Obama actually does own an AT&T-branded 'Berry, he'll soon be able to enjoy what AT&T calls "the first mobile-to-mobile voice encryption solution using two-factor authentication offered by a US operator." Said service is expected to provide a higher level of security for calls across the AT&T wireless network, and naturally, it'll be shopped to government agencies, law enforcement organizations, financial services institutions and international businesses, all of which will pay far too much for what's likely a false sense of security. We mean, haven't these guys ever seen 24?
can someone please photoshop a, "You are here" with a blow out of any of the images from the apple testing chamber coming from the attdeathstar. I been meaning to do it but just can't find the time.
http://www.cringely.com/wp-content/uploads/attDeathStar.jpg
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http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/visualized-a-strange-world-where-echo-doesnt-exist/
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You are here OR Meanwhile on the ATTDeath Star
=
Thank you! and LOL.
Americans deserve the rights ( as in Cell phone subscription ):
to dump a prez for a fee;
switch to new network (new prez);
buy own phone (unlocked): new everything ( new congress; new healthcare plan; etc)
OBAMA is on ATT?! No wonder this country is going to shit. Nothing is getting done...
@akarol That's not at&t's fault.
@akarol I think it's Obamas speed rather then ATT XD
I think Obama is currently rocking a BlackBerry Tour 9630 (I would assume the one w/o a camera) on Verizon, take a close look at this photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/4753023841/sizes/o/in/photostream/
@KMAN
Dang, that's a great photo but it does show that he has really lost some weight! I guess all that smoking is starting to take its toll.
At least they won't have to keep buying new burners on The Wire now.
Yes - I'm sure all the PhD mathematicians at NSA are all saying, "Hey, let's use AT&T's Encryption"
Plus, since you're on AT&T you calls will be so secure even the person you call won't understand you!
You will get that weird alienese robotic gibberish that anyone on AT&T knows all too well.
@HektikLyfe ...myself include children before you start calling me names. I've been on AT&T for years and the service has never been something to write home about.
Though that's probably a better option then calling over an AT&T phone.
I'm on roll. :)
@HektikLyfe ...myself included children before you start calling me names. I've been on AT&T for years and the service has never been something to write home about.
Though that's probably a better option then calling over an AT&T phone.
I'm on roll. :)
What good is encrypted communications if the network can't even hold your call?
I'd be more trusting of an open source solution that _isn't_ maintained by a large corporation and the details of the protocol etc kept secretive.
What about skype, isn't that encrypted?
@DoctarPeppar
it's encrypted but the encryption has been broken recently apparently
They will only need to encrypt it until he's out on January 20th 2013.
@ericrwalker Ahh so your trolling...
@southern78
So your grammar is bad...
@ericrwalker Obvious troll is obvious...you spew your mindless rhetoric on forums without any substance and all you can say is bad grammar? Sad indeed....
@southern78
No, actually look at my post. I was stating my opinion. They need to worry about encrypting the blackberry after the next election. You came back calling me a troll, and I pointed out your grammar. That doesn't change my opinion of my first post.
@ericrwalker It was still a troll....your opinion was stated in a previous post. You are attempting to mask it now as the "my opinion" but you know it is trolling. Elections in January have nothing to do with encryption. Your opinion was a troll attempt as seen in your other posts.
@southern78
Actually I am just keeping the Steve Jobs comments in the Steve Jobs section and the 2013 comment in the 2013 area.
Troll....yeah maybe, when it comes to topics about Liberals. Obama's spending has gotten me fired up in the last 18 months.
Oh I love how John Kerry loves to increase taxes, but just bought a $7 million dollar yacht and ports it in Rhode Island to save about $500,000 in taxes from his own state.
What's the point???? He's a chinese poodle ...better find a tech to encrypt his mouth.
an encrypted network lmfao
is this what in response to GSM being hacked all to hell?
I'll give this new encrypted network a week before its broken and torn to shreds
waits for the kit and rainbow tables to decrypt new encrypted network
Why not use Skype? Last I heard, the government is pissed because they can't (easily) break the encryption.
I'd assume that the president already has a secure, encrypted voice & data package anyway. I doubt they'd have him do much of anything on a consumer grade phone.
"We mean, haven't these guys ever seen 24? "
Really? Even a tech blog needs to resort to the same kind of "we're unable to distinguish fact from fiction" nonsense humor as the mass media?
Do believe there is a law in the US that says you are not allowed to have encrypted phone calls.
@djenkins83 That probably depends on whether the NSA/CIA have the algorithm to crack the encryptions. If they do then they won't care.
I didn't know engadget was allowed to post profanities in the open like that... In the future please use Ob$%#!
so no one will point out that GSM has been recently cracked - actually that the cracking software for GSM calls is now being released in the wild - and that ATT is on GSM? No one? Really? OK. I will.
@froggy
i did already...at 4:19pm
:)
@hexideciml yes... yes you did. Did not see it. Mea culpa. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa.
I'm not sure why a law enforcement agency would use GSM anyway, CDMA is far superior due to it's antenna coverage. Departments in our neck of the woods rely solely on CMDA, specifically Verizon, because AT&T coverage blows in rural areas. I'm sure that's true across most of America.
Keep in mind that this is the same company that was shuffling off voice records to the government during the last administration.
But it could be the most secure if he used an iPHONE 4 - without the bandage. It would be impossible for anyone to hear what Obama is saying. Including the person called.
I don't know about the president, but a lot of his aides must be on AT&T because anyone who was in Bar Harbor, Maine last weekend (when the first family was in town) can attest to the cell/data network getting slammed... (unless it was just me)
Obama's blackberry is safe but who cares,teleprompter are not safe.
@magallanes
Ahh so you're trolling...
Doesn't matter. Companies are mandated to put insta connects in their routing centers so any LE agency can just waltz in, plug in, and listen to whatever they want, encryption free.
This doesn't help one bit. What would be nice is Skype everywhere - that's end to end encryption right there, with no carrier able to provide a loophole anywhere.
Blackberry is still for losers. Get Android! duh
Um.. I kinda doubt Obama, the rest of the government or any of the defense contractors will be using this. They'll probably stick to a GD secure phone like the Sectéra. I really doubt AT&T's service will be approved for use by the NSA.
Jack Bauer will beat people to a pulp, and get inside this "secure" network
Does or any know know that AT&T even know the President even use AT&T or Verizon? I though he have a Verizon Black Berry not AT&T.
I just don't see the point.
I am sure that the NSA insisted that there be a back-door to this for their use.
he just likes Blackberry because it describes him. Hell, I'd probably buy a phone if it was called Whitederek.
If he has Verizon then I hope he has a world phone, otherwise he's getting 0 bars when he travels internationally. :D
Oh, and no data connection while he's on a call.
am just thinking here... mmm
who actually got the president's phone number? lol
I mean really who does he speak to? you're the president!!! just get your secret service to bring the Asshole to you. well unless its the wife which is another story.
So does this mean it's even easier for the NSA to wire-tap my phone?