NSA approves Samsung Knox for use by TOP SECRET g-men

US spooks will be allowed to access sensitive government information on their KNOX-locked Samsung gadgets from now on. The South Korean company has been heavily pushing its new KNOX security product and it looks as though its efforts have paid off. The National Security Agency has now approved nine Samsung devices, including …

[Will Godfrey]

The Mind Boggles

These same people have be screaming about the supposed insecurity and back-doors in non-American kit.

[Crazy Operations Guy]

Re: The Mind Boggles

No, you're thinking of the other group of xenophobic old white dudes wasting our money (I think the politically correct term is 'Senator' or something)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The Mind Boggles

"No, you're thinking of the other group of xenophobic old white dudes...."

What, like 'bama boy?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing is really secure is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The Mind Boggles

"These same people have be screaming about the supposed insecurity and back-doors in non-American kit."

Clearly Cisco don't feel threatened by Samsung

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The Mind Boggles

The Chinese and Russians must be delighted that they are using such an insecure OS - that needs bolts-ons like Knox to reach levels of security only approaching what are features of the native OS for Blackberrys and Windows Phones...

[ZSn]

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL is the 'lowest level of classified material' in the UK is a bit disingenuous. It rolls up protected, RESTRICTED and CONFIDENTIAL. CONFIDENTIAL at least can release some embarrassing/dangerous information depending upon who is doing the classification.

[SkippyBing]

Re: OFFICIAL

If it could be embarrassing it would be OFFICIAL - SENSITIVE which has extra handling precautions, almost like CONFIDENTIAL used to. I don't know if the GCHQ assessment makes that distinction though.

[Don Dumb]

Re: OFFICIAL

@ZSn - "OFFICIAL is the 'lowest level of classified material' in the UK is a bit disingenuous. It rolls up protected, RESTRICTED and CONFIDENTIAL."

And UNCLASSIFIED as well - everything is at least OFFICIAL.

As another has pointed out anything which is sensitive has a specific handling restriction. The classifications are not retrospective either, anything which was marked CONFIDENTIAL still retains that classification and is treated as such.

[Anonymous Coward]

I would have hoped

If they cared about security, they'd be rooting it and installing their own Android build on it. Are they trusting Samsung and Google not to spy on THEM? Maybe the next release of top secret files will come from an insider in Seoul or Mountain View, rather than an NSA insider?

[Fungus Bob]

Re: I would have hoped

"Maybe the next release of top secret files will come from an insider in Seoul or Mountain View, rather than an NSA insider?"

We can only hope...

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: I would have hoped

How are they going to make their own Android when anybody who dabbles in Linux or opensource is a commie terrorist ? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/03/nsa_xkeyscore_stasi_scandal/

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I would have hoped

"If they cared about security, they'd be rooting it "

It was actually secure then rooting it wouldn't be possible...

[Looper]

Re: I would have hoped

What makes you think that Samsung isn't already in bed with those with multiple visual appendages?

And you're not seriously trying to suggest that Google isn't working with ASN/QHCG are you?

This looks like further confirmation that both hardware and software is designed to spy on everyone. Intel is well connected to the ghostly men.

Why would anyone think that other mobile circuit suppliers aren't slurping directly at the hardware level, or at the firmware level?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Won't somebody think of the children

Won't kidnappers now all switch to this phone?

And without a front-door the legitimate law enforcement authorites won't be able to protect us from kidnapper terrorists

[Cipher]

Re: Won't somebody think of the children

1. The consumer version will be different.

2. Maybe approval was contingent on a backdoor they can activate. Not only for targets, but their own, who may wish to blow whistles...

[cantankerousswineherd]

totally owned then

no problem if the NSA can hack the g men, good news, they can hack everyone else

beware govt agencies bearing gifts.

[psam]

looked on google to find out what it is and got this https://support.samsungknox.com/entries/77706453-Welcome-to-Samsung-KNOX-Support- where the comments are all attempted xss vulnerabilities.

Does it stop all the info leaking out of a phone back to google or the company who made it, such as location, wifi hotspots , gps tracking , searching etc.

[phuzz]

Odd subtitle.

What (or who or where) is "chaebol"?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Odd subtitle.

Heard of a search engine?

Let me help:

Chaebol (hangul: 재벌 ; Korean pronunciation: [/t͡ɕɛ̝bʌ̹ɭ/]; from chae: wealth or property + pol: faction or clan) refers to a South Korean form of business conglomerate.