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ASD greenlights Samsung 5G smartphone use by government agencies

A number of Samsung devices with 5G capability have been approved for use across government agencies.

user icon Charbel Kadib
Thu, 25 Feb 2021
ASD greenlights Samsung 5G smartphone use
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The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has released updated Security Configuration Guidance for Samsung Galaxy S20FE, S20 FE 5G, Note20 and Note20 5G smartphones for use by Commonwealth government agencies.

The updated guidance confirms that the Samsung Galaxy products can now be used across government departments and critical infrastructure agencies.

This follows a testing and assessment process undertaken by the ASD, which involved patching applications and operating systems, configuration of Microsoft Office macro settings, user application hardening, restricting administrative privileges, and multi-factor authentication.

Specifically, the guidance outlines parameters around the use of Samsung mobile devices in ‘Sensitive’ and ‘Protected’ deployments.

The announcement follows the ASD’s Cryptographic Evaluation (ACE) level certification of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ models in 2019, which became the first Android devices to be approved for Australian government use at ‘Protected’ level.

“Samsung devices are designed to provide a safe and secure operating platform for use in a wide range of conditions and under stringent environments,” Garry McGregor, vice president of IT and mobile, Samsung Electronics Australia, said.

“This latest Configuration Guidance from the ASD opens the opportunity for a wider range of our Galaxy devices to be utilised within some of the most demanding government departments and scenarios. We look forward to building our relationship with the Australian government by delivering the very best in Samsung mobile innovation and security.”

Charbel Kadib

Charbel Kadib

News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media

Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres

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