Media reports may have suggested that that Samsung was going to give up on its Knox security platform, but the Common Criteria approval of its flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone is likely to give the platform new momentum as the company pushes into the lucrative Australian government market.
Rigorous testing by the US Defence Information Systems Agency accredited the device under Common Criteria certification against the Mobile Device Fundamentals Protection Profile (MDFPP) standard, which has subsequently been accepted by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) for access to UNCLASSIFIED / Dissemination Limiting Marker (DLM) level.
MDFPP includes more than 80 core requirements in areas such as key management, cryptography capabilities, device encryption, WiFi security, screen lock and mobile device management.
The certification, which follows on the heels of similar approvals by the US Department of Defense, will allow the popular smartphones to be used by government agencies in 26 countries through the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement.
“Achieving this certification further strengthens Samsung’s strong security credentials,” Craig Gledhill, Samsung’s vice president of enterprise and small and midsize business (SMB) for Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, said in a statement.
“This is an endorsement of our investment and commitment to meet the strict security standards for government and enterprises in Australia who can rely on Samsung for mobile devices that come with strong, built-in security capabilities.”
To be used with data classified at the PROTECTED level, Samsung will need to work with the ASD to address the device's performance against the ASD Mandatory Requirements Addendum to the MDFPP.