Re: [Fed-Talk] BYOD
Re: [Fed-Talk] BYOD
- Subject: Re: [Fed-Talk] BYOD
- From: Jeffrey Walton <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:48:06 -0400
On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 8:32 AM, Miller, Timothy J. <email@hidden> wrote:
> BYOD models are typically built on secured containers; basically walled
> garden apps that use encrypted storage and don't share with other apps
> (unless they share an API).
Secure containers move the problem around a bit, but don't change the
problem. I was looking at a secure container last week (and another a
few weeks ago). Both were from "leaders" and both left something to be
desired.
All the solutions I have seen appear to be incomplete. Data has three
distinct phases in its life cycle:
* Data in Transit
* Data on Display
* Data at Rest (optional)
I have not seen a product adequately address the threats in each phase
(yet). For highly restricted data, I don't believe they phases can be
adequately secured due to the reputational and financial losses
associated with a major breach.
> This is easier on iOS than Android and
> Windows Phone/System 7/Whatever-it-is-this-month. Jailbroken devices need
> not apply, and some apps make an attempt to detect jailbroken or rooted
> devices.
Windows Mobile (2001 ~ 2010) was a turd. I spent a lot of time trying
to secure it at the development and architect levels. Windows Phone
7/7.5 is fairly tight. The walls of the garden are a little higher (to
convince yourself, follow the viewing of a sensitive PDF through its
life cycle).
I think Windows Phone 8 is lowering the walls a bit, especially with
the inclusion of Interop/P-Invoke. But they also raised the bar a bit
(or followed RIM) with the Secure Boot process (www.uefi.org). In the
end, I believe calling into native DLLs and WinRT is going to be the
ingress point for hacking the phone.
> A similar model that's coming in the not-so-distant future is to run a
> hypervisor on the bare metal, and boot multiple VMs depending on use; one
> VM is the user's OS, the other is the employer's. This has some
> possibilities, provided a secure hypervisor is used and each VM keeps its
> storage encrypted.
You also have OEMS trying it: "Mobile Security: Can Business Phones
Double As Personal Phones?"
http://midsizeinsider.com/en-us/article/mobile-security-can-business-phones-dou.
> Both VMWare and Citrix (among others) are pursuing
> this model. This model has so far been envisioned mainly for laptops, but
> will eventually apply to smartphones as well (hypervisors for handsets is
> an active area of development).
I'm not sure cell hardware is ready to run a hypervisor. They lack the
2 bits used for 'ring levels' on x86/x64. As I understand it, a
hypervisor'd system needs three levels - Hypervisor, OS, and User. Can
the same be achieved with ARM Zones?
If this is moved forward, I think it will only apply to Android phones
unless Brew MP and Symbian have something going on I am not aware of
(which could be the case). I doubt Apple and Microsoft will become
part of it (but again, its just my opinion).
> In both models, spillage is (theoretically) handled by wiping the storage
> key and re-provisioning the container. Jurisdiction over personal devices
> isn't a barrier, as it would be modeled on jurisdiction over *contractor*
> devices that's already well-exercised.
That sounds like a AOSP derived project to me. Currently, Android does
not wipe even if a SIM is swapped (it's a feature).
> Whether or not we (as individuals) think BYOD is good fit for the DoD
> probably doesn't matter, because senior leadership seems to think it is
> (at least for now :).
:)
Jeff
> On 9/15/12 3:02 AM, "David Mueller" <email@hidden> wrote:
>
>>On 9/14/12 1:47 PM, "William Cerniuk" <email@hidden> wrote:
>>
>>> The Army stood up secure services, including robust standards based
>>>email, on
>>> ako.us <http://ako.us> .army.mil. I have been using that email system
>>>for some
>>> 10 year, nearly flawless operations, working perfectly with my iPhone,
>>>iPad
>>> and previously worked in clunkyville with my Nokia. At the same time,
>>>the Army
>>> had never paid a dime for my wireless while I worked there.
>>
>>Now what happens when a spillage occurs? The kind that involves someone
>>(inadvertently or otherwise) sends you an email with classified
>>information,
>>not the kind that involves liquid beverages?
>>
>>That's a significant reason I have little interest in doing BYOD in the
>>DoD.
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