Bittium receives national Confidential level information security classification for its Tough Mobile smartphone.

National Cyber Security Centre-Finland of the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority has granted approval for the Mobile Security and Public Safety targeted Bittium Tough Mobile LTE-smartphone and related Bittium Secure Suite back-end system to process material that is classified nationally as Confidential. Bittium’s mobile solution is the first one in the world to receive official Confidential level encryption product classification. The mobile solution can be used for creating and processing classified information, as well as for transferring it between smartphone and connected back-end solutions.

Bittium Tough Mobile smartphone includes several innovative features that have been designed for authorities and other professional uses where reliable and secure communication is needed.
(Credit: Bittium)

In order for a phone and a related back-end system to achieve the Confidential level classification, there are specific information security requirements regarding the processing of classified information, secure wireless transfer of files, and other possible communication, which need to be met. Bittium Tough Mobile LTE smartphone and its back-end system designed for this classification level include features that have been hardened based on the Katakri 2015 requirements, such as, hardened operating system, hardened user identification, and data transfer. Katakri 2015 is an information security auditing tool used by the Finnish authorities for evaluating an organization’s capability to secure classified information of authorities.

Bittium Tough Mobile designed for the Confidential classification level has a unique dual-boot functionality that makes Bittium Tough Mobile a device with two completely separate operating modes, Public and Confidential. The Public operating mode is meant for personal use where e.g. social media applications are freely available. The Confidential operating mode is completely separated from the public mode, hardened for secure use, and meant for demanding use cases of authorities and other users requiring high-level of information security. This dual-boot functionality enables both personal and professional use with high-level information security with the same device. The user himself can switch between the two different modes.

”The approval of Bittium Tough Mobile and Bittium Secure Suite back-end system as an encryption product enables even more extensive use of the of the solution in different governmental organizations. The ability to process Confidential level (STIII) classified information with a smartphone creates new and more agile ways of communicating and improving data transfer in the mobile environment. The dual-boot functionality of Bittium Tough Mobile now also enables integration of several different classification level environments with the same terminal”, says Mr. Aki Tauriainen, Chief Inspector of Audits and Accreditation of the National Cyber Security Centre-Finland.

”We have been persistent in developing our know-how in information security by focusing on the uncompromised security of wireless connections. On the other hand, we are also the only smartphone manufacturer who designs and makes their phones entirely in Europe, Finland. This unique information security expertise combined with proficiency in terminals creates conditions for producing devices with overall security and integrating security features deep within the hardware and source code”, says Mr. Jari Sankala, Senior Vice President, Defense & Security at Bittium, “An excellent proof of the strength of this combination is the world’s first Confidential level information security classification given to a system that is based on a smartphone.”