The rest of the government has traditionally used Blackberries up to now. Hell, they even get PlayBooks now. Why should the NSA be relegated to ancient secure-phones? Troy Lange, the NSA’s mobility mission manager thinks that sucks. It’s time the NSA got its own smartphone.
Lange’s idea essentially takes the utility of those old General Dynamics Sectera Edge phones and makes them smarter. Right now, NSA mobiles are locked down pretty tight; if an operative wants to check their email, he or she would have to log in at their desk. Even if their phone or laptop registered with the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network.
That’s woefully inefficient. Even SIPRNET-friendly government phones can only talk to one another. Lange contends that its the information that’s classified, and not the devices themselves. So he wants there to be a way to seamlessly access and transmit data across these secure devices in real time. Presumably modified Blackberries with a suite of apps that can maintain the security incumbent on keeping all this classified data safe.
Lange wants these new phones to eventually reach the pockets of all government officials. While I’m not sure the idea will be met with glee, it’s a reasonable one that deserves consideration. [UberReview]
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