Why is South Korea's Military Set To Ban iPhones Over 'Security' Concerns? (appleinsider.com) 50
"South Korea is considering prohibiting the use of iPhones and smart wearable devices inside military buildings," reports the Defense Post, "due to increasing security concerns."
But the blog Apple Insider argues the move "has less to do with security and more to do with a poorly crafted mobile device management suite coupled with nationalism..." A report on Tuesday morning claims that the ban is on all devices capable of voice recording and do not allow third-party apps to lock this down — with iPhone specifically named... According to sources familiar with the matter cited by Tuesday's report, the iPhone is explicitly banned. Android-based devices, like Samsung's, are exempt from the ban...
The issue appears to be that the South Korean National Defense Mobile Security mobile device management app doesn't seem to be able to block the use of the microphone. This particular MDM was rolled out in 2013, with use enforced across all military members in 2021.
The report talks about user complaints about the software, and inconsistent limitations depending on make, model, and operating system. A military official speaking to the publication says that deficiencies on Android would be addressed in a software update. Discussions are apparently underway to extend the total ban downwards to the entire military. The Army is said to have tried the ban as well...
Seven in 10 South Korean military members are Samsung users. So, the ban appears to be mostly symbolic.
Thanks to Slashdot reader Kitkoan for sharing the news.
But the blog Apple Insider argues the move "has less to do with security and more to do with a poorly crafted mobile device management suite coupled with nationalism..." A report on Tuesday morning claims that the ban is on all devices capable of voice recording and do not allow third-party apps to lock this down — with iPhone specifically named... According to sources familiar with the matter cited by Tuesday's report, the iPhone is explicitly banned. Android-based devices, like Samsung's, are exempt from the ban...
The issue appears to be that the South Korean National Defense Mobile Security mobile device management app doesn't seem to be able to block the use of the microphone. This particular MDM was rolled out in 2013, with use enforced across all military members in 2021.
The report talks about user complaints about the software, and inconsistent limitations depending on make, model, and operating system. A military official speaking to the publication says that deficiencies on Android would be addressed in a software update. Discussions are apparently underway to extend the total ban downwards to the entire military. The Army is said to have tried the ban as well...
Seven in 10 South Korean military members are Samsung users. So, the ban appears to be mostly symbolic.
Thanks to Slashdot reader Kitkoan for sharing the news.
ROK security concerns are justified (Score:4, Insightful)
NK sympathizers are always gathering intel from them. This is a country where a small unit raid or artillery fire mission could happen at any time and people are dying on a regular basis. So when they ban mobile device microphones for OPSEC reasons, I don't argue all that much.
With that said, their security posture is good but their actual IT is not as great as it could be.
Routine protectionism (Score:4, Interesting)
I guess this is the new future? I don't care too much. The US bans TikTok to protect it's local social media industry and South Korea does the same to protect it's smartphone industry. It's not great, but not in the top 10 of my daily worries.
Re: Routine protectionism (Score:3)
Apple controls the hardware and software design. But China actually controls the hardware.
Re: (Score:2)
This is just basic protectionism and as the TFA stated, it's symbolic.
I'd argue that blocking the 30% of the devices on site because they effectively contain a known operational security vulnerability would be a little more than just symbolic
Re: (Score:2)
30% is not iPhone share, is anything else than Samsung, it includes iPhones but just as well Android devices from brands other than Samsung.
Re: Routine protectionism (Score:4, Insightful)
I doubt it considering the DoD doesn't allow iPhones either in certain cases. They have their own version of Android specifically built for this use, and runs on a Samsung phone. Apple would never allow that, particularly because it takes ownership of the device away from them. Likewise I could see Apple giving Korea a similar cold shoulder.
Wut? (Score:4, Interesting)
It's been policy for years - at least here - that you take the smartphone out of your pocket, turn it off, and put in a little locker designed to hold it until you leave the area where classified discussions might occur.
You always turn it off, because ET always tries to connect to a tower. In that little metal cage, it ramps up to full power, and drains the battery quickly.
We can discuss all day, but tracking and connecting is the core of how the cellular system works. It's a short hop from there to surreptitious recording.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Banning iPhones, but not Androids?
I'll take a wild guess and say that Samsung and LG phones are approved.
Re: (Score:1)
It's an administration issue, they can't control what is done on an iToy because Apple only permits themselves to control their users. There are a number of nice management suites for Android phones (although apparently the one they currently use badly needs an update). Apple of course refuses to provide any such thing, and will sue the pants off anyone else who tries. This is much the same reason why they only occupy a very niche position in the corporate world, there are scores of management suites for
Re: (Score:3)
It's an administration issue, they can't control what is done on an iToy because Apple only permits themselves to control their users. There are a number of nice management suites for Android phones (although apparently the one they currently use badly needs an update). Apple of course refuses to provide any such thing, and will sue the pants off anyone else who tries. This is much the same reason why they only occupy a very niche position in the corporate world, there are scores of management suites for Windows and Linux but Macs are essentially unmanageable.
The issue with smartphones and computers when dealing with security is that for all of the peter waving between iPhone and Android, there is a whole lot more to handling classified data than what most people think of.
Smartphones have cameras, microphones and recording devices. If you plan to take them into a classified facility, they must be physically disabled. A very few phones have mechanical kill switches. But they are tiny little DIP switches, and are you going to remember, to turn them off or bet
Re: (Score:2)
Phones can be safely permitted into a restricted facility **IF** there is a way to adequately manage them, the same as laptops. Phones which are added to a good management suite can serve multiple purposes safely, if they're not managed then they can't. Ballmer screwed up by not extending AD, SMS, etc. to the Windows phone and pushing it as a secure solution to corporate communications, but he didn't have the attention span to maintain a low-revenue product long enough for it to seize sufficient market sh
Re: (Score:3)
It's an administration issue, they can't control what is done on an iToy because Apple only permits themselves to control their users.
That's news to my company, and pretty much every school district.
https://support.apple.com/appl... [apple.com]
https://www.apple.com/business... [apple.com]
And here are some 3rd party management tools:
https://www.jamf.com/solutions... [jamf.com]
https://jumpcloud.com/ [jumpcloud.com]
https://www.kandji.io/ [kandji.io]
I forget what 3rd party management system my son's iPad uses. It has it's own app store, though.
Re: (Score:2)
MDM (Score:2)
The point of the post is to responed to the OP's point that Apple doesn't offer an MDM nor 3rd party MDMs at all. This is not true.
In any case, you can turn off the camera via an MDM policy in iOS.
https://support.apple.com/guid... [apple.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Banning iPhones, but not Androids?
I'll take a wild guess and say that Samsung and LG phones are approved.
Do Samsung and LG not have cameras, audio recording and microphones?
I get it. People hate Apple anything. But the phones available for only a very few high level people must be modified to verifiably turn off all of those devices.
Re: (Score:2)
Do Samsung and LG not have cameras, audio recording and microphones?
Yes, but my point was that they are South Korean companies.
Re: (Score:2)
Do Samsung and LG not have cameras, audio recording and microphones?
Yes, but my point was that they are South Korean companies.
Oh yeah, I agree with what you said. It's just that they might be patriotic South Koreans, but they are gonna be pwned. Pine makes a Linux smartphone that has hardware switches, but the things are activated by DIP switches, and really, it's just easier to put them in a metal box/
Re: (Score:1)
Banning iPhones, but not Androids?
It may sound strange but it's actually not weird in the slightest. There's a long history of why Android devices would be better suited to the job. Samsung was rolling out hardened security systems with corporate MDM back when Apple was still pretending that corporations didn't exist and the iPhones were just for consumers. It wasn't until they were actively losing market share in the corporate world that they even entertained the idea of giving someone control over parts of the OS via MDM.
In the meantime A
Re: (Score:2)
Banning iPhones, but not Androids?
It may sound strange but it's actually not weird in the slightest. There's a long history of why Android devices would be better suited to the job.
Apple simply hasn't offered the same level of control over their devices and several Android vendors have.
Perhaps our Security department was completely wrong, but we had to put all phones of any make or brand, smartphones, flipphones any 2 way device in secure containers. If you brought one into a secure area, and were caught, you were given a security violation. The only way you could escape that is if you removed the battery - if it could be removed. Androids were no exception. No cameras, or microphones or recording devices. All of which are on Androids.
There are certain exceptions for high level peopl
Re: (Score:2)
What the fuck are you blathering about? Can you tell me the security settings, thegarbz??
In the meantime Android vendors have not only rolled out very capable fully managed systems, but also Android is an open source multi vendor product. We have Android devices here completely devoid of any and all Google software on it. We have other devices managed down to what individual buttons do, camera and microphone completely locked off, want to install software? Well that's a phone call to IT who will remotely provision it for you.
Can you tell me where the hardware switches are that fender all recording and audio and transmission capabilities of the phones impossible to be compromised, thegarbz? https://www.dla.mil/About-DLA/... [dla.mil] Take it up with those guys.
I'm pretty certain that you-as the final arbiter of the fully managed and completely secure Android phones they will be really happy to be corrected and allow these managed systems in any and all classified spaces.
Consider for a moment that perhaps you are not quite as smart
Re: (Score:2)
in any and all classified spaces.
Pull your head out of your arse and stop trying to move the goalposts even closer to your strawman you idiot.
RTFA anonymous coward who seems to believe that the South Korean military does not deal with deal with classified info.
Anything I can do to piss off further?
Re: (Score:2)
No not wrong. You just applied a more stringent requirement. It's common in some places. But for places where there are looser requirements including those for MDM controlled by company devices there is still a difference between Android and iPhone in capabilities. And I should say there's difference in Android and Android. Again different vendors, different capabilities in the Android world.
Re: (Score:2)
No not wrong. You just applied a more stringent requirement. It's common in some places.
We are speaking about the South Korean Military. Not Some places.
They cannot use your idea of Androids are secure enough, unless the South Korean never deals with any classified information. As an ally of the USA, that would be very strange indeed.
I know that the Pine and Purism offerings have hardware switches, But every phone would have to be inspected to insure the switches are in the right position. Any meeting I had responsibility would have every cell and smartphone and recording device left outs
Re: (Score:2)
It's been policy for years - at least here - that you take the smartphone out of your pocket, turn it off, and put in a little locker designed to hold it until you leave the area where classified discussions might occur.
This.
First of all, I thought that MDM software only worked on corporate-owned devices enrolled in the system. Someone brings their own device to work and all bets are off. Also, personal devices can be placed in airplane mode. So they refuse to connect to any towers. But many, if not all, can be equipped with apps that can record audio/video to local storage and then upload later. So if the company didn't give you a device for specific use in secure areas, you leave your toy in the locker.
There are a few
Does iPhone have the equivalent of KNOX (Score:2)
Does iPhone have the equivalent of KNOX containers?
Re: (Score:2)
I don't know how useful is the "business" part of "knox", but on consumer phones its only feature is to delay the boot of a properly rooted device until the user pushes the power button. The removal of samsung bloatware, however, speeds up the device more than enough to compensate.
In The Republic of Samsung... (Score:2)
In South Korea, they have a saying, something like "Only 3 things are guaranteed: death, taxes, and Samsung."
Worst Case Possible Security Flaws (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Surprised they're not banned already (Score:1)
Re: Surprised they're not banned already (Score:2)
When you work in China the supply chain is under the control of the CCP. Who knows what components are being swapped out to spy on foreign militaries and their families.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Surprised they're not banned already (Score:2)
A lot of people seem ok profiting off of deals with the CCP.
Many are so fixated on money as power and the means to convey value that they fail to see the manipulation.
China is using old colonial tactics against the US and Europe. Trade as a means of political control.
Not because (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
A report on Tuesday morning claims that the ban is on all devices capable of voice recording and do not allow third-party apps to lock this down — with iPhone specifically named...
The issue appears to be that the South Korean National Defense Mobile Security mobile device management app doesn't seem to be able to block the use of the microphone. This particular MDM was rolled out in 2013, with use enforced across all military members in 2021.
iOS doesn't allow MDM software to control the microphone. That's the stated reason at least.
They're right. (Score:2)
Looks like Apple Silicon is (likely deliberately) backdoored on an instruction set level.
they allow phones at all? (Score:2)
It's incredible that phones are allowed inside buildings with sensitive material. Many defence forces ban the _presence_ of any personal electronics in areas where there is classified material. Here's a US summary: https://news.usni.org/2018/05/... [usni.org]
"Personal and Government mobile devices that transmit, store, or record data are prohibited inside secure spaces within the Pentagon."