Posted on Sep 6, 2014
Thoughts on Mandatory Issued Govt Cell-Phones for All
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What are your thoughts if you were issued (including every service member in the US Military) a cell phone at the expense of the government? The only catch is that you are obligated to answer all calls and emails in a timely manner.
Would such an issued phone assist you with your work-load? I have come across several service members who they had one (due to cost on their end) and some who dread the current BB cellphones that are issued. If it was mandatory, what suggestions would you have to make it a workable policy?
Do you support the mandatory issue of a wearable watch such as Pebble, the rumored iWatch, or a Moto 360 to help keep track of all the calls and emails?
Would such an issued phone assist you with your work-load? I have come across several service members who they had one (due to cost on their end) and some who dread the current BB cellphones that are issued. If it was mandatory, what suggestions would you have to make it a workable policy?
Do you support the mandatory issue of a wearable watch such as Pebble, the rumored iWatch, or a Moto 360 to help keep track of all the calls and emails?
Mandatory
Technology
Government
Cell Phones
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 45
The military doesn't need to issue its leaders smartphones since the vast majority of them already have one. It would be great if we could just access our email on our existing phones. Nobody wants to carry two phones around.
If the military did issue a new phone, it might be a bit like this rumored iPhone PRC-5D. It is said to be a modified iPhone that connects to a 3-foot external tape antenna and uses a 5590 battery. Comes with a standby battery life to up to 2 hours, 10 minutes while talking, and weighs a mere 4 pounds. Courtesy of the Duffel Blog.
http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/03/leaked-photo-apples-new-military-smartphone-iphone-prc-5d/
If the military did issue a new phone, it might be a bit like this rumored iPhone PRC-5D. It is said to be a modified iPhone that connects to a 3-foot external tape antenna and uses a 5590 battery. Comes with a standby battery life to up to 2 hours, 10 minutes while talking, and weighs a mere 4 pounds. Courtesy of the Duffel Blog.
http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/03/leaked-photo-apples-new-military-smartphone-iphone-prc-5d/
Is This A Leaked Photo Of Apple's New Military Smartphone, The iPhone PRC-5D?
CUPERTINO — Service members are abuzz today as a photo alleged to be an image of a military version of the popular Apple iPhone 5 was leaked on the Internet late Saturday. The picture appears to show a ruggedized olive drab iPhone, with a 3-foot external tape antenna and what appears to be a 5590 …
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CWO2 Shelby DuBois
Not a fan. Whole new meaning to the old ' if the enemy is in range, so are you '... Are we talking in garrison or deployed? WW2 censors examined mail to make sure no ships schedules, deployment info, tactical info..etc wasn't compromised. Today.. a single cell phone might have ten times that info.
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TSgt (Join to see)
Exactly! So we can buy everyone in the Army a smartphone (is "Army Smartphone" an oxymoron?) but we cannot afford to keep hundreds of thousands of troops?
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Every service member will be issued a new phone to be used IN CONUS and if Deployed will be issued the second for OCONUS use.
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CMDCM Gene Treants
PO1 (Join to see) While Stationed at NAVCAMS Naples, if one of our operators was out "sick" I would either have to do this or supply one of my Crypto Tehs to take her/his place. Spent quite a few hours Putting in plugs and switching switches for calls all over Europe and to CONUS. I was an ET1 at that time.
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Cpl Brett Wagner
Yes! I want a free iPhone6 and I want every American to get one also, that should do wonders for my Apple stock, who knows maybe I can retire before I am 80 years old which unfortunately is the current plan. I will also need to know what carrier these cell phones will use so that I can but that stock also. Heck maybe the government can just take over the carrier and cell phone businesses like they did with GM and medical care.
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It is not necessary. There are very few people that need to be able to be gotten a hold of at all times. Additionally I work enough during duty hours and don't need my family time interrupted.
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PO1 (Join to see)
I have a feeling if I get issued one, it'll be bugged. As in, constantly bugged by my chief, lol
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As a leader, I already feel obligated to answer all calls and messages.
Considering how awful the Army is with tech stuff (AKO, Army Core, non-stop computer re-imaging), I feel they would waste a lot of money on cell phones that aren't worth using.
Not to mention the ability of Big Brother to track your every move.
Considering how awful the Army is with tech stuff (AKO, Army Core, non-stop computer re-imaging), I feel they would waste a lot of money on cell phones that aren't worth using.
Not to mention the ability of Big Brother to track your every move.
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
That's what I figured and that's one of the reasons I don't even put up a fight to remain private anymore. People can find me on RallyPoint and my Facebook is completely public. Ehhh....I ain't scared. I can see why others would want to remain enigmatic though :)
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
SGM (Join to see) that's what they think, but little do they know my habits change every time the wind blows. One day I like red high heels, the next day I don't like shoes at all... :)
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Suspended Profile
CPT (Join to see) . This seems like risky business making everyone so easily trackable by opposition traffic analysis. Anyway, the standard GSM A5/# encryption algorithm is deeply flawed and the available devices are not tempest certified. GSM phones are so very highly susceptible to multiple attacks including opposition owned switches. The General Dynamics Sectera with Type 1 Encryption at $2,000+ per unit may be too costly to field so broadly. I would also worry about potential loss or other compromise with so many units in the field.
Warmest Regards, Sandy
http://www.gdc4s.com/sectera-wireless-gsm-phone?taxonomyCat=141
http://cryptome.org/gsm-crack-bbk.pdf
CMDCM Gene Treants
Warmest Regards, Sandy
http://www.gdc4s.com/sectera-wireless-gsm-phone?taxonomyCat=141
http://cryptome.org/gsm-crack-bbk.pdf
CMDCM Gene Treants
CMDCM Gene Treants
Concour 1LT Sandy Annala. The massive deployment of phones commercially available - note that is commercially available to anyone - poses a risk all in itself. If it can be encrypted by this process than it can just as easily be decrypted. Using standard encryption methods for this many phones would not work either. So on to...
Everyone gets a regular I-Phone type capable of all of the current functions, but issued by the Govt at $200.00 per pop. If you lose it you pay for a replacement. You are tethered to work 24/7 and must respond, even on leave or liberty. Any personal phone calls are also allowed, up to 60 min per month, overage is charged to your pay account at 4 cents per min.
Pebble Smart Watch at $250 is to expensive and to new right now. When the price drops to $40 or less may be a viable option, but not now. It is more effective to use a Moto 360, I-Phone, etc.
BOTTOM LINE: Hell No - not price or communications effective to issue one to all hands.
Everyone gets a regular I-Phone type capable of all of the current functions, but issued by the Govt at $200.00 per pop. If you lose it you pay for a replacement. You are tethered to work 24/7 and must respond, even on leave or liberty. Any personal phone calls are also allowed, up to 60 min per month, overage is charged to your pay account at 4 cents per min.
Pebble Smart Watch at $250 is to expensive and to new right now. When the price drops to $40 or less may be a viable option, but not now. It is more effective to use a Moto 360, I-Phone, etc.
BOTTOM LINE: Hell No - not price or communications effective to issue one to all hands.
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Suspended Profile
CPT (Join to see). Cheap COTS phones are subject to cheap COTS compromise . . . including trivial to implement real time location tracking and real time interception and decoding of all traffic.
This is not a good communications solution for any military purpose.
Warmest Regards, Sandy
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/28397/hacking/surveillance-solutions.html
This is not a good communications solution for any military purpose.
Warmest Regards, Sandy
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/28397/hacking/surveillance-solutions.html
Surveillance – How to secretly track cellphone users position around the globe
Using the proper surveillance systems available on the market it is easy and quick to track cellphone and the movements of targets everywhere on the globe.
SrA Victor Michael Garcia
I've been in communications for most of my civilian career. I can tell you that cellular phones are the least reliable form of communication, specifically in emergencies. If the position here is to use the phones for business use only with no regards to dependence on absolute or even 70 % reliable communications, then I say go for it. I for one would rather rely upon land lines, satellite phones, portable HAM radios, if possible, with as many HAM licensed individuals as possible. OR! SMoke signals! :) I say save the money and use reliable COM.
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CPT Ahmed Faried
exactly 1LT Sandy Annala. It is bad enough that the chinese already can get to our "secured" systems.
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CPT (Join to see) - Wow, that would really suck because everyone would be controlled all the time. For an ORI or mobility it would be useful but I am always leery of technology, if only because of the potential for abuse. Like, business schemes or hackers. MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca SSG V. Michelle Woods 1LT Sandy Annala CPT Carrie Papproth
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The Army says that we're 24/7 - then you get a blackberry and you become 25/8.
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PO1 (Join to see)
Now it all makes sense when they say put out 110%. That extra 10% of 7 rounds up to 8. But that extra 10% of 24 only rounds up to 26. Close enough I guess, happy Sunday!
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As with all electronic gagetry its going to triple your workload with everybody expecting you to work as fast as your mobile device does. Good thought though. So how long will it take to vet the contract, add 19 more security layers, James Bond-a-size it so the thing can double as a grenade launcher and get it into service 20, 25 years tops?
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PO1 (Join to see)
Or we can get wrist and finger implants Inspector Gadget style. That should solve half of our problems, right sir?
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