Boeing Black : A Self Destructive Smartphone
Boeing being a aerospace and defence manufacturer is now into smartphone arena by introducing Boeing Black, which has encrypted calling and self destruction when tried to tamper the mobile. After three years of speculations on Boeing planning to build secure phone, at last the news is out as Boeing filed documents to FCC naming it as Black.
The Boeing Black phone is manufactured as a sealed device both with epoxy around the casing and with screws, the heads of which are covered with tamper proof covering to identify attempted disassembly. Any attempt to break or open casing of the device would trigger functions that would delete the data and software contained within the device and makes the device inoperable.
Unlike conventional smartphones Boeing Black is much thicker, almost twice the Samsung Galaxy S5, with 170gms in weight and comes with a PDMI port (rare in model) which is a combo of USB, HDMI, Audio, Power and Display out in one connection.
This gadget is built to be powered with dual 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPUs and run on popular Android OS. It has 4.3-inch 540×960 display and packed with comparatively small 1590mAh battery, backup for the device is questionable.
Boeing is not reluctant on launch date and full tech specifications both hardware and software on security prospective. The phone works on WCDMA, GSM, LTE networks and supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has dual SIM option to connect multiple networks simultaneously.
Boeing said in a statement “Boeing Black’s security is powered by the Boeing PureSecure architecture, which was designed from the outset for the mobile environment. Our architectural foundation is built upon layers of trust from embedded hardware, operating system policy controls, and compatibility with leading mobile device management systems. The device’s hardware roots of trust and trusted boot ensure the device starts in a trusted state, enabling maximum security of data. Hardware media encryption and configurable inhibit controls are embedded to protect the device, its data, and the transmission of information, significantly reducing the risk of mission compromise due to data loss”.
It is unambiguous that Boeing is targeting potential consumers like defense and other govt agencies where the data security is utmost priority. Obviously for all or any of the reasons the price tag may be unaffordable for general consumers.
