Samsung opens up Knox security platform to all consumers

Posted on 04/09/2013 by Donald Melanson

Samsung's Knox security solution has tended to mostly garner headlines when the company's phones get approval from the likes of the US Defense Department, but it's now set to broaden its user base considerably. In addition to announcing that it's bolstering the offering with some help from Lookout, Samsung has also confirmed today that its opening the platform up to all consumers. That will give security-minded users an added layer of protection, with Knox letting you store personal data and run a set of pre-screened apps in a so-called container -- other apps can still be run outside the container, but with only limited access to your personal information. Naturally, you'll need a Samsung device to take advantage of it. The company says all of its upcoming devices will offer support for the service, and it's promising to provide details on commercial availability for the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note II "shortly."

Filed under: Cellphones, Samsung

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Source: Samsung

Samsung enlists Lookout to make Knox security even more securely secure

Posted on 04/09/2013 by Brian Heater

Lookout's looking to get into the business of business mobile security, and business, we're told, is good. In fact, the company's kicking things off with a Samsung partnership that'll bring its security software to devices using Knox, a deal targeted toward the ever-growing world of bring your own device workplaces. As the company puts it on its blog, "Wherever Knox will be, Lookout will be there, too." Lookout's also promised some additional information on its push into the business world, which is set to become widely available before 2013 draws to a close. And who knows, maybe we'll get some more details during Samsung's IFA press event later today.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Lookout Blog

Sprint Galaxy S 4 update adds Knox, app installs on SD cards

Posted on 09/07/2013 by Jon Fingas

Samsung's big Galaxy S 4 update hit Europe a month ago; it's now spreading to the US through Sprint. The American patch adds much of what we saw in its international counterpart, including the option of moving supporting apps to the SD card. Business-minded customers also get access to the Knox security suite. Just be careful about upgrading if you're planning to install a custom ROM -- XDA-Developers members report that the bootloader has changed, but they haven't yet verified whether or not it's locked down. Those who aren't concerned about flexible firmware should receive the update soon, though, and we're hoping that other US carriers aren't far behind.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Sprint

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Via: Android Central

Source: XDA-Developers

Samsung Knox gets official DoD approval for government use

Posted on 03/05/2013 by James Trew

Samsung announced in March that its Knox security suite would debut with the Galaxy S 4. That might not have happened exactly as planned, but just as the WSJ predicted the Department of Defense has given it the official hat-tip for use in government departments. Good news for Samsung, who will now see its Knox-enabled devices added to the alongside BlackBerry on the official list of approved hardware. This also represents the first time any Android devices have been deemed secure enough for use by US services. With iOS believed to be going through the same boot-camp trials, agencies could be about to get a lot more choice.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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WSJ: Samsung Galaxy and iOS devices to be approved by US Defense Department

Posted on 01/05/2013 by Michael Gorman

Our armed forces began embracing Android and iOS some time ago, and now it appears that the US Department of Defense is finally jumping on the bandwagon, too. The Wall Street Journal reports that the DoD will be announcing security approvals for Samsung Galaxy handsets, iPhones and iPads in the next couple weeks -- allowing them to join BlackBerry in the government's secure smartphone stable. Apparently, Samsung's approval was facilitated by its Knox security platform, which has been deemed secure enough to allow it to be used to send and receive internal emails, and Apple devices running iOS 6 and up are also expected to get the go-ahead for nonclassified communications. So, people of the Pentagon, it looks like it's only a matter of time before you can put down your BB7 handset and pick up a smartphone with a more modern OS.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Wall Street Journal

Full Samsung Knox launch delayed until a ‘later date’

Posted on 24/04/2013 by Jon Fingas

The Galaxy S 4 launch was also supposed to mark the release of Knox, Samsung's plan to balance home life and work through software. Unfortunately, Galaxy owners will have to live slightly off-kilter for a while longer -- the company has officially delayed full Knox service to a "later date." While the GS 4 ships with the necessary underpinnings, both distributors and providers have to fall into place before the suite is completely ready. Samsung hasn't officially said when it expects Knox to arrive in earnest, although the New York Times claims that it may appear as late as July. Whether or not that's true, the setback adds to what's becoming a hitch-prone debut for Samsung's 2013 Android flagship.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: New York Times

Samsung’s Knox security solution to launch with Galaxy S 4

Posted on 15/03/2013 by Alexis Santos

Back at Mobile World Congress, Samsung filled us in about its Knox security suite, and now it's just announced that it'll ship on the Galaxy S 4. In case you need your memory jogged, Knox focuses on providing enterprise security features that let business and personal content coexist on the same handset. Like BlackBerry Balance, the solution cordons off work-related apps, email accounts and the like in secure containers, while keeping personal things without password protection. Though the GS4 will nab Knox first, other Samsung devices are set to receive it as well.

Gallery: Samsung Knox

Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.

Filed under: Mobile, Samsung

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BlackBerry’s response to Samsung’s SAFE Knox for enterprise: ‘We’ve been doing that since 1999’

Posted on 25/02/2013 by Steve Dent

With Samsung stepping on Blackberry's enterprise turf via its SAFE with Knox launch, it's not too surprising the Canadian outfit has a few choice words on the subject. We spoke with mobile computing Executive VP David J. Smith, who finds it "flattering" that Samsung is taking a similar interest in enterprise security, but said it may take awhile to catch up since his own company's been doing it "since 1999." He said that experience means "nothing is more secure" than BB10 smartphones combined with its Balance work/home app and Blackberry Enterprise Service 10 (BES). Of course, the latter now supports Android and iOS devices, but Smith added that the main problem with Samsung's approach is Android itself -- which he feels brings its own bag of insecure worms to the enterprise space.

With Samsung touting Knox's ability to separate enterprise functions from a user's "personal space," Smith pointed to the Balance app -- which has been doing that since 2011 -- claiming it's the only solution that "can effectively keep sensitive corporate information secure while keeping an individual's personal information private." In contrast, Smith said Android is still inherently "vulnerable" due to its open nature, while BB engineered its Blackberry OS kernel in-house to be secure and that aspect was "completely understood" by company engineers. He added that programmers are constantly fine-tuning those features for its own BB10 and legacy handsets, adding that it would bring new Android and iOS "containers" and other features later this year to further boost security for those devices. Naturally, the outfit's likely hoping you'll want one of its shiny new devices to swipe or click, but failing that, says that you'll be the most secure under its BES 10 umbrella, regardless of your handset.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Blackberry

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Samsung announces SAFE with Knox, details plans to secure the enterprise Galaxy (hands-on)

Posted on 25/02/2013 by Zach Honig

BlackBerry has Balance, and no more than a month after the company once known as Research in Motion debuted its first BB 10 handset, Samsung has a dual-workspace solution of its own: SAFE with Knox. Unlike SAFE, which stands for Samsung for Enterprise, Knox, which was named for the Army outpost where America stores much of its gold, was not crafted into an acronym (though we imagine marketers dedicated at least one meeting to the cause). It's appropriately named, given the company's plans to dominate the enterprise industry with what's soon to be "the most comprehensive mobile security solution."

So what will you find within the Fort Knox of the smartphone world? It's an IT manager's pipe dream, of sorts. A comprehensive collection of features that include Security Enhanced (SE) Android, secure boot, TrustZone-based Integrity Monitoring (TIMA) for protecting the kernel, Single Sign On (SSO) and that application container concept made famous by BlackBerry, just to name a few. Best of all, Knox will ship preinstalled on select devices, all sold as one SKU -- in other words, consumers and enterprise customers alike will be taking home identical handsets, simplifying the process significantly for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) businesses. We'll explain in a bit more detail in our hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Samsung SAFE with Knox hands-on