UK Military opts for iPhone 7 over Android for secured communications

[Wireless News]

In a decision that underscores the iPhone's stringent security protections, the UK Ministry of Defence recently opted to go with Apple's iPhone 7 as the "device of choice" for sensitive communications that warrant the utmost security against malicious actors. According to a new report from TechRepublic , the telecommunications company BT Group is already hard at work implementing heightened security safeguards on the iPhone 7 for military and defense personnel. Once finalized, users with secured iPhones will be able to adjust the security mode of their device depending on the level of sensitivity a particular communication-demands. What's more, the report relays that BT is also working on methods to develop "secure storage containers" for top-secret data. Interestingly enough, Steve Bunn, BT's technical business manager for defence, explained that their initial efforts to roll out a secured communications device began with work on a Samsung Note 4. "But as more and more development and testing was done," Bunn explained, "the security associated with it wasn't deemed to be sufficient, so that's why we moved [to iPhone]." Following the report, BT Group, in an apparent effort to remain as diplomatic as can be, issued a follow-up statement indicating that the Note 4's security wasn't inadequate. "We would like to clarify that the MoD has not expressed any views about the suitability of dual-persona technology from specific handset/technology vendors and is prototyping a range of devices," the statement reads. Indeed, it's not as if iPhone has always been or is even currently the universal device of choice for hyper-sensitive communications. To wit, many security-minded organizations-use heavily modified Android smartphones such as the-GSMK Cryptophone 500, the Boeing Black, and the pricey Solarin.

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