This week, National Defense Magazine have showered the world with reports that Boeing – that’s right, the world’s most famous aerospace manufacturer – is preparing to release its own Android handset. The phone will stand apart from its competitors as the world’s first super-secure Android smartphone, rocking some serious security measures. Before you start pencilling the release date into your diary though, bear in mind that the handset will probably cost much more than those run-of-the-mill phones you get in high street shops, with competing phones selling around the $20,000 point.
Of course, the issue of security in smartphones is an interesting one; smartphones now contain much more personal information than their more basic mobile predecessors. If someone were to hack into my phone back in 2004, all they’d have found was a few flirty text messages and my mates’ phone numbers. Now, my hypothetical mugger could have access to any and all of the apps that I’ve set to remember my password. That includes my e-mail account, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, and Google. Aside from the fact that by reading my e-mails, it wouldn’t be hard to find passwords and information about bank accounts, while my Facebook messages contain personal gold. Crack into a high-profile figure’s smartphone and you could find yourself staring at thousands of pounds’ worth of blackmail material.
Not that I’m advocating mugging anyone for their phone of course, but it’s important to realise that smartphone security is paramount, whether you work in in the inner circle of the national government or are simply in charge of changing the cartridges in the office photocopier. Either way, our phones are tiny little keys to our lives; no wonder teenagers get so protective when they see their parents hovering around their precious handset. I don’t want my brother completing so much as a level of Angry Birds for me, never mind browsing through my images.
So it’s pretty unfortunate that no one’s thought of releasing a super-safe smartphone for us masses yet. Granted, Boeing’s isn’t going to cost as much as $20,000 (they say), but it’s safe to assume it’s still going to be out of my price range – and yours, unless you’re Richard Branson. There are security measures in place on most smartphones; if you haven’t already, you’d do well to set a password on your phone’s lockscreen, which only the most ardent criminals would bother getting around. I’ll also be pleased when face recognition makes it big – a few smartphones are being released with this technology in 2012, but it’s still a bit of a gimmick; frankly, the more security options we’re offered, the better. And hey, if you’re really self-conscious about having your mug stored on the phone, you don’t have to use it!
But seriously, it’s good news that there are some super safe Android phones out there for defence workers; I mean, I don’t want terrorists getting hold of our national defence secrets any more than the next person. But, it would be nice if phone manufacturers would recognize that – to me – my friends not knowing that I had a crush on my geography teacher in high school is slightly more important than the safety of our political leaders. Is that so hard to understand?