The Mobile Phone Is Probably The Most Dangerous Device Available Today

Asia Times: Mobile apps, smartphones pose a clear and present danger

Most people don't realize that the mobile phone is being 'weaponized'.

New revelations show that Iran has posted apps found on Google’s Play Store which give the Iranians the ability to easily spy on anyone who downloads them to their smartphone. Some say these are “weaponized” smartphone apps.

Most people don’t realize that the mobile phone is probably the most dangerous device available today. It is more powerful than any conventional computer, and it is totally vulnerable to hacking.

The modern smartphone combines significant computing power made up of a very fast microprocessor and graphics engine plus memory with a host of sensors and radios, including GPS.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  If you own a cell phone ..... which is basically everyone .... this is a must read.

The Pentagon May Ban Personal Cell Phones

CNN: Exclusive: Mattis seeking to ban cell phones from Pentagon

Secretary of Defense James Mattis is actively considering banning US military and civilian personnel from bringing their personal cell phones into the Pentagon, the world's largest office building, according to three US defense officials familiar with an ongoing review of the issue.

The officials told CNN that while the issue is under review and a final decision has not been made, the recent revelations that a fitness tracking app that maps people's exercise habits could pose security risks for US troops has only underscored the need for the review.

The officials added that the review was ordered after Mattis expressed his intent to ban personal cell phones in the Pentagon.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This has clearly gotten the Pentagon spooked .... Strava's Fitness Tracking Map Highlights Secret U.S. Military Bases Overseas (January 29, 2018).

More News On The Pentagon Considering A Ban On Personal Cell Phones

Mattis considers cellphone ban at Pentagon -- Defense News
Defense secretary considering ban on personal cell phones at Pentagon -- CNBC
Personal phones could be banned at Pentagon as result of Mattis-ordered review -- Stars and Stripes
Cellphone Ban at Pentagon Possible after Exercise Tracker Disclosures -- Military.com
Pentagon Reviewing Electronic Device Policy -- Nextgov
Jim Mattis considers banning cellphones at the Pentagon -- Washington Examiner

Top U.S. Military And Intelligence Officials Have Their Own Special Phone For Top-Secret Communications

The Boeing "Black" phone

Patrick Tucker, Breaking Defense: The NSA Chief Has A Phone For Top-Secret Messaging. Here’s How It Works

The Boeing device is less a phone and more a locked-down portal to a faraway server.

There’s no such thing as a perfectly secure phone, especially if it also connects to the internet. But leaving your phone on the plane every time you visit a hostile foreign country isn’t an option for everyone, and so a handful of top military commanders now have a device that can send and receive Secret and Top Secret messages. No surprise: it doesn’t work quite like the one in your pocket.

Developed by Boeing and the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Boeing Black phone has a dual-SIM card that “enables users to switch between government and commercial networks. Boeing Black integrates seamlessly into customer mobile device management systems and virtual private networks,” according to the product data sheet.

One of the recipients is Cyber Command chief Adm. Michael Rogers, said DISA head Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I am willing to bet that the servers that handle these communications are probably some of the most heavily guarded installations within the military.

U.S. Senator: Cellphone ‘Kill Switch’ Fears Are Baseless

Mikulski Says Cellphone ‘Kill Switch’ Fears Baseless, ‘Conspiratorial’ -- US News and World Report

‘Reasons are being invented’ to stop new technology mandate, senator says.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., tells U.S. News there’s no reason to fear legislation that would force cellphone makers to incorporate a “kill switch” in devices, allowing stolen or lost phones to be remotely disabled and wiped of personal information.

Mikulski and three Senate colleagues, all Democrats, introduced The Smartphone Theft Prevention Act on Feb. 12, proposing that the technology be mandatory for new smartphones. The senators, led by Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, cited the Federal Communications Commission’s estimate that phone theft costs consumers $30 billion annually.

Read more ....

My Comment: I cannot help it .... but when it comes to government promises .... especially from this White House and Congress .... I am always skeptical.

The U.S. Army And It's Smartphones

Nett Warrior Returns From The Dead -- DoD Buzz

WHITE STANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. — Most had left the Army’s Nett Warrior program and it’s futuristic eye scope in the expensive trash heap of Future Combat Systems. But it lives on here where soldiers test the glorified smartphones that Army leaders want its squad leaders carrying on the battlefield.

Soldiers like Staff Sgt. Jesus Vasquez and Sgt. First Class Frederick Chinlever wear Motorola Atrix smartphones inside a green case mounted to their chests connected to Rifleman Radios on their backs. They can’t make calls on it, but they can see fellow soldiers’ positions, mark IED and enemy positions, and even text each other.

Read more ....

My Comment: The technology is already out there .... but as well use it.

The U.S. Army And It's Smartphones

Nett Warrior Returns From The Dead -- DoD Buzz

WHITE STANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. — Most had left the Army’s Nett Warrior program and it’s futuristic eye scope in the expensive trash heap of Future Combat Systems. But it lives on here where soldiers test the glorified smartphones that Army leaders want its squad leaders carrying on the battlefield.

Soldiers like Staff Sgt. Jesus Vasquez and Sgt. First Class Frederick Chinlever wear Motorola Atrix smartphones inside a green case mounted to their chests connected to Rifleman Radios on their backs. They can’t make calls on it, but they can see fellow soldiers’ positions, mark IED and enemy positions, and even text each other.

Read more ....

My Comment: The technology is already out there .... but as well use it.

The U.S. Army Wants Android-Powered Smartphones

May 09, 2012: Commercial smartphones are tested and evaluated by soldiers, yet when soldiers switch on the phones, it will not say "Welcome to Android." The Army developed the Nett Warrior program. (FoxNews.com / Patrick Manning)

Army Stronger With Androids -- FOX News

White Sands, N.M. – Android-powered smartphones will help soldiers of the future discover better trails, locate colleagues and build stronger defense -- capability that just doesn’t exist today. They'll be a permanent fixture in the United States Army, officials said.

FoxNews.com traveled to White Sands Missile Range in south central New Mexico, where soldiers are testing the Motorola ATRIX and the General Dynamics made Motorola GD300, as well other smartphones, radios and handhelds in a massive war game. In military vehicles, combat leaders used Motorola Xoom tablets to get a unique new look at soldiers’ locations.

Read more ....

My Comment: The soldiers are going to fall in love with this tech.

U.S. Military And Government Agencies To Get Secured Android Phones

Sgt. Willie LeBeouf from Houston, Texas, assigned to the 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Army Evaluation Task Force, selects a local map to display on a smart phone. The phone was loaded with a special application to help Soldiers interview local residents during a battle scenario as part of an exercise the unit recently participated in at Fort Bliss, Texas.

U.S. Government, Military To Get Secure Android Phones -- CNN

(CNN) -- Some U.S. officials this year are expected to get smartphones capable of handling classified government documents over cellular networks, according to people involved in the project.

The phones will run a modified version of Google's Android software, which is being developed as part of an initiative that spans multiple federal agencies and government contractors, these people said.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Government, Military To Get Secure Android Phones

U.S. Government's Secure Android Phones Expected This Year -- PC Mag
Military, government officials could get secure Android phones -- CNET
U.S. military and government agencies to adopt Android: report -- Financial Post

Camera Phones Becoming The Instument Of Choice To Record The Revolution

A youth uses a cameraphone to capture the aftermath of a teargas volley fired by police on protesters near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Arab Spring Leads Surge In Events Captured On Cameraphones -- the Guardian

From Tahrir Square to the scene of John Galliano's racist rants, pictures and videos from the public have been increasingly used in media coverage.

In 2011, cameraphones entered the mainstream of photojournalism due to a combination of the Arab uprisings, the Occupy protests and improved technology.

The Guardian, wire agencies and major broadcasters used many more cameraphone and video images. The New York Times said its use has increased a hundredfold.

"That's largely because of the Arab spring", said Michele McNally, assistant managing editor for photography at the New York Times. "Most of the reporters are carrying smartphones because of the image quality of the cameras. They like the style of cellphone filtered imagery and they're less intrusive [to use] in conflict situations."

Read more ....

My Comment: The quality and resolution of the newest phones are truly impressive .... and getting better with each new product cycle. With everyone now having a phone .... and an excellent camera with it .... videotaping and taking pictures of the revolution and/or any other news event is now the easiest thing to do.

iPhones Are Now Banned In Syria

Many of the images showing anti-government protests in Syria have come from amateur footage posted on the internet.

Syria 'Bans iPhones' Over Protest Footage -- BBC

Syria has banned the iPhone, reports say, as the government tries to control information getting out of the country.

In a statement apparently issued by the customs department of the Syrian finance ministry and seen by Lebanese and German media, the authorities "warn anyone against using the iPhone in Syria".

The order also apparently prohibits the import of iPhones.

Read more ....

Update: Syria reportedly bans iPhone to stop flow of protest footage online -- Washington Post

My Comment: This is an acknowledgement that the Syrian government is now losing control of the situation.

How Smartphones Are Becoming Pocket Spies

Pocket Spies: Smartphone Actionable Intelligence -- Computer World

Photographer and writer Michael Yon, a former Green Beret, has been with our combat troops and reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan since 2004. Yon recently published an extremely interesting article titled Pocket Spies which deals with how our smartphones act like a pocket spy which we willingly carry, yet many people don't consider the hidden dangers. Yon has seen a perilous side of it that many of us never will, when carrying a phone can potentially cost the lives of U.S. troops.

Since GPS tracking is a huge issue that SCOTUS is deciding right now, I interviewed Yon about pocket spies and actionable intelligence. He's seen some U.S. combat units that are careful and aware of the hidden dangers from smartphone pocket spies and some that are not. Here's the first of a two part series:

Read more ....

Previous Post: Why Soldiers Should Be Wary Of Their Smart Phones

Update: Smartphone pocket spy tracking by drug cartels at Mexican border war zone? -- Computer World

My Comment: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said the same thing today when he disclosed the billion dollar global spying industry .... and .... more to the point .... on how they infiltrate our mobile devices.

Why Soldiers Should Be Wary Of Their Smart Phones

Pocket Spies -- Michael Yon

We know the Internet has dangers. Everything we put onto the information superhighway should be considered chiseled into marble. Meanwhile, those smartphones that so many of us carry are tantamount to carrying hostile spies in our pockets. If the battery is charged and in the phone, the phone is a homing beacon whether it’s on or off. Now add services such as Facebook, and those excellent phone cameras with geotagging, and there is a combination for disaster.

Read more ...

My Comment: The Taliban are also no longer trusting their cell phones.

How Smart Phones Are Revolutionizing The American Military

A US Army crewman took a cellphone picture of a Blackhawk helicopter carrying then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates between visits to troops in Afghanistan in June. Jason Reed/Reuters/File

How An iPhone Revolution Could Turn The Army Upside-Down -- Christian Science Monitor

An Army pilot program is putting smart phones in the hands of soldiers as a warfighting tool. But the project challenges traditional Army command culture as well as the military industry.

When Michael McCarthy started giving out iPhones to soldiers training for war in the Texas high desert, there was speculation that it might be some sort of recruiting ploy.

"There were a lot of people who thought this was a marketing thing – we're going to give you a cellphone if you enlist," says Mr. McCarthy, director of operations for the Army's Brigade Modernization Command.

But that was the furthest thing from his mind. Instead, he was hoping to recast how the Army thinks about technology.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have been writing on this "military technology revolution" for the past few years, but this CSM report summarizes the impact that smart phones are having in a clear and succinct manner. Read it all.

The Taliban No Longer Trust Their Cell Phones

Manual labourers under the Roshan cell tower, in Dehdadi, a small town/village in the north, just outside Mazar e Sharif, Afghanistan. JanChipChase

Bin Laden Kill Spooks Taliban Off Cell Phones -- CBS

ISLAMABAD - More than six months after U.S. Navy SEALs tracked and killed Osama bin Laden in the northern Pakistani city of Abbottabad, bringing an end to the rein of the world's most hunted terrorist, his allies in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region have reportedly taken unusual precautions to avoid capture, or death.

In a range of background interviews with CBS News, Pakistani and Western officials say human couriers are increasingly being used by militants to replace the ubiquitous cell phone.

While there are no clear, verifiable statistics to back the claims, the officials say the intelligence information available is enough to suggest that the trend is growing significantly.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Taliban have always been leery of cell phones .... but Bin laden's death clearly surprised many. But while they are leery they have not gone about "blowing-up" the cell towers .... a tactic that they will now definitely not pursue since it will then alienate the mass majority of the public who have grown dependent on this technology for their communications.

A Top-Secret Secure Smartphone For The NSA

U.S. Army Smartphone U.S. Army

National Security Agency Is Building a Top-Secret Secure Smartphone -- Popular Science

For all the amazing technology developed by and for American defense and intelligence agencies, the government’s spooks are apparently lagging way behind in one key area: Smartphones. That means no mobile email or Angry Birds for our nation’s spy corps. One NSA agent is trying to change that.

At a security conference in Florida, Reuters got some details on a top-secret smartphone project at the National Security Agency. Project leader Troy Lange is developing special software that turns an everyday, commercially available smartphone into a tool with top secret access. And he wants every employee in the Defense Department and intelligence agencies to have one.

Read more ....

My Comment: LOL .... as if hackers are going to be intimidated by this "Top-Secret secure smartphone". If anything .... they now feel challenged.

U.S. Army May Soon Equip Soldiers With Smartphones

Image from BlackBerry Cool

U.S. Army May Soon Equip Troops With Smartphones -- CNN

(CNN) -- For U.S. Army troops, smartphones could become requisite field gear, along with boots, guns and ammunition.

The Army is wrapping up a six-week program to test the viability of using touchscreen phones and tablets in combat. The pilot program began on June 6 within the White Sands and Fort Bliss training areas in New Mexico and Texas.

This dry run has proved so encouraging that Army officials say they expect the first wave of smartphone-equipped soldiers could be shipped overseas later this year.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Army And Smart Phones

US Army may give soldiers smartphones -- Global Post
Army experiments with off-the-shelf smartphones -- USA Today
U.S. Army wants soldiers to have advanced smartphones, wireless technology -- Infoworld
The Army's Smartphone Problems Are Worse Than Yours -- Atlantic Wire
US Army wants soldiers to have advanced smartphones, wireless technology -- Computer World
Cheap smartphones enter battle -- The Tennessean
US Marine Corps considers smartphones for marines -- The Telegraph
Smartphones Are the Perfect Combat Tool for Soldiers -- BlackBberry Cool

Using Smart Phones As Force Multipliers In War Zones

Army Sees Smart Phones As Force Multipliers -- Federal News Radio

More often than not, technology developed for the military eventually finds its way into general use. Now, the Army is conducting pilot tests on how to take smart phones from practical to tactical.

Lt. Gen. Michael Vane is one of the Army's top leaders trying to bring technology to the battlefield. The director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center details how smart phones will assist soldiers.

Read more ....

My Comment: They have been a little slow in developing this technology. But it is good to seem them now focused on developing practical applications for soldiers in battlefields.

Rugged Phones Ready For War

From DoD Buzz:

Just as smartphones have become an icon of the civilian world, they may soon find their way into every soldier’s kit.

Take a look at General Dynamics’ version of the battlefield smartphone.

The GD300 features a highly-sensitive GPS, 3.5 inch touch screen and the ability to connect door-kickers to the tactical network.

Read more ....

My Comment: These phones are not going to be cheap .... but am sure that the soldiers are going to love them.