Fortress-Like Operating System Blocks Smartphone Spying

The more technology grows and the more we rely on the new technology, the more interested hackers will be to get into it. Governments, law enforcement, first responders and corporations need to know that their communications are secure. With almost everyone walking around with a tablet and smartphone that is a powerful as their desktop, there has never been a greater need to ensure security.

It was announced on April 2, 2013 that a new mobile phone technology would be revealed in Washington DC. This new tech is designed to block spying. The concept is a new smartphone with a strengthened operating system. The smartphone is aimed at creating secure communications and data by stopping malware and “spyphones.”

Enter the Fortress Fone designed by Ziklag Systems. It is a company that offers advanced technology to protect mobile devices and mobile phone systems. Ziklag focuses on developing, marketing and supporting commercial and specialized products for smartphones. According to Ziklag, “Mobile malware has now become a profitable industry.” Its intentions are to eliminate the profit.

On April 4, 2013, the Fortress Fone will make its introduction in Washington DC. The Fortress Fone represents a major technology shift in that it is a mobile phone that can communicate securely and cannot be easily hacked. According to Ziklag, today there are many spying products available in the market. These are apps and they are referred to as “spyphones.” What it means is that someone or an organization can take control of your mobile phone. It doesn’t matter which OS you are using, spyphones can hack all of them.

Some apps will record information and broadcast it later, while others can stream out the information in real-time. The challenge for the designers of the Fortress Fone was to come up with a solution for government agencies in Italy that need more and stronger security.

Telsy SpA is a manufacturer of network devices for computers. They are also a business partner of Ziklag. The CEO of Telsy, Giannantonio Montorselli said, “Our goal was to put a fully functional smartphone in the hands of our government leaders, but a smartphone that was truly secure. I think we accomplished our goal and have something truly unique.”

James Swanson, a retired Naval Intelligence officer and now CIO for Ziklag, said, “People are shifting to smartphones and tablets from computers. The problem is they are going from a partially protected environment that at least has a firewall, to devices that don’t have such protection. With the Fortress Fone development we are getting into a pot of trouble.”

Ziklag and Telsy will show how easily a smartphone can be hacked, even if they have extra security features. The CTO of Telsy, Fabrizzio Vacca, stated, “We will show exactly how the bad guys can defeat some popular solutions to secure phones, just by getting behind the system, which is easy to do. Without strengthening the porous operating system of the smartphone, the reality is there is no protection at all, either for the data on the phone, the networks connect to the device, or the voice channels.”

The Law Firm of Patton Boggs in Washington DC will play host to a demonstration on Thursday at 10 a.m. from both Ziklag and Telsy of the Fortress Fone.