A Smartphone for the NSA

i'm not a big fan of lawsuits, but palm should sue. this is ridiculous.

Well, I haven't seen the specs for this device, but I could make a few guesses. Knowing how a STU-III (Secure Telephone Unit 3.0) works, I'd say the C S and TS LEDs across the top show the security level of the communications link, Confidential, Secret or Top Secret. The communications link could be an instant message, a telephone call, or an E-mail, or something else. The device probably has a crypto ignition key or CIK. The CIK, when removed and separated from the device makes it unclassified Controlled Cryptographic Item (CCI), meaning there's no classified information contained in a unit. It is devided between the two.

Leave it to Uncle Sam to reinvent the wheel. All their needs could have been met by the Treo-650 with customized software and firmware or possibly a customized hardware encryption engine added to the Treo.

But of course, that would use existing, off the shelf technology, which would be far too inexpensive.

No, instead the government has decided to have a custom device built from the ground up, costing 18 million dollars for development, assuming it doesn't run over budget, which it probably will.

The Treo-650 already has plenty of software which could be used for the functions that do not require security and has all the power necessary to be loaded with secure software and firmware. There is even existing software which allows some phones to make ultra-secute encrypted phone calls over a data connection.

Not only would using the Treo be much cheaper and offer more software support, it would also prevent the phone from standing out in public.

There's your tax money folks!

-Steve

Are you kidding. The 650 is rife with security holes from a tempest perspective. That alone would be worth at least a million in testing. The phone must provide systemic, redundant protections against the data being accessed by the wrong person and hardended to various forms of analysis. I wouldn't be suprised if the thing supports a security dongle that transmits via skin conductivity or something like that.

General Dynamics is the other Company and the Government is only funding half of the $18M - the other half is an investment by the companies. It will be no easy trick to develop a PDA(not a brick) that will provide all the functionality required, meets all the security requirements, and catches the fancy of those who have or want to use it. Has anyone seen or heard what GD is proposing?

GD and L-3 each won $18M development contracts, and trust me... it is going to cost a lot more then the $18M they got to develop the SME-PED... building a device for classified use is no easy task, but most can't begin to imagine what it takes to make such a device. BTW, you must be retarded to think that the end device will look like the photos on the web. Companies that play in this tradespace have thier act together... dummys... they cater to the white hats... no way will it look anything like this, heck... it may even have a build in underwater re-breather since it is for 007...

Hello,
how are you doing and how is your bussiness? I'm Harrison John by name.I am interested in your product(Treo 650-6 units) and will like to know if you will accept Telegraphic Transfer as i will be using that to pay you ?
I will also like to know if my goods will be release for shipment upon the arrival of the fax for the comfirmation of the telegrphic transfer?
Kindly calculate the shipping cost to :
NAME-Harrison John
ADDRESS-MILLITARY CANTOMENT,
CBQ 14, NA-BORI CAMP,
CITY-IKEJA
STATE-LAGOS-NIGERIA.
TELEPHONE-+2348025032450

I've found the first treo killer-- Cingular 8125, im a loyal treo 650 user, but this phone rocks... im selling my treo on ebay now!!!
check out the specs on it, the windows mobile 5 runs great, and email syncs flawlessly!