Samsung Knox gets official DoD approval for government use
Samsung announced in March that its Knox security suite would debut with the Galaxy S 4. That might not have happened exactly as planned, but just as the WSJ predicted the Department of Defense has given it the official hat-tip for use in government departments. Good news for Samsung, who will now see its Knox-enabled devices added to the alongside BlackBerry on the official list of approved hardware. This also represents the first time any Android devices have been deemed secure enough for use by US services. With iOS believed to be going through the same boot-camp trials, agencies could be about to get a lot more choice.
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SAMSUNG KNOX APPROVED BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR USE IN US GOVERNMENT
In a first for Android powered devices, Samsung smartphones and tablets
with Samsung Knox can be used by the US Government and Military Services
London, United Kingdom – May 3rd, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced that Samsung Knox-enabled devices have been approved by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for use in DoD networks. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has finished successful testing of Samsung Knox devices.
With the official approval, Samsung Knox-enabled devices, including smartphones and tablets, will be listed as approved products for use by U.S. government and military officials within DoD networks. The DoD security requirement guidelines for mobile operation systems are one of the highest security standards in the world and this marks the first time for Android-powered devices to meet such high security requirements.
JK Shin, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, said, "We are very pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Defense has approved Samsung Knox-enabled devices for use in DoD networks. This approval enables other government agencies and regulated industries such as health care and financial services to adopt Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. This is a significant milestone for Samsung as we work to grow our relationships within government and large corporate enterprises."
"Samsung Knox delivers fundamental security at the platform level, while leaving the user experience consistent," said Injong Rhee, Senior Vice President and Head of B2B R&D Group, Samsung Electronics "Samsung Galaxy devices powered by Samsung Knox are highly secure mobile devices."
The Samsung Galaxy S4, recently launched in the global market, is the first smartphone to be enabled with Knox. Going forward, Samsung's premium smartphones and tablets will feature Samsung Knox.
In addition to the DoD approval, Samsung is actively seeking certifications from other international government certification bodies for Samsung Knox-enabled devices to be used in government networks worldwide.
