The South Korean military is at the root of deep introspection – the decision to destroy iPhones in stock. The decision is believed to be the result of a fascinating meeting between the overall leadership levels of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This may lead to a complete break with Apple and it may embrace South Korean giant Samsung, which may dominate the country’s smartphone market.
In fact, the essence is national security because: Issues arise over scores of speech data recorded on iPhones that could leak private information. An Air Force Headquarters document noted that “use of iPhones will be completely prohibited”. The ban, currently exercised at the headquarters housing a workforce of about 10,000, may later be extended to cover subordinate military units, taking the number of personnel already restricted from performing duties using iPhones to 500,000. Will also reach out.
While the main issue is not any specific security weakness for iPhones, but a flaw in the legal case over the intercepting process. What is the most important reason for compatibility in NDMSS (National Defense Mobile Security), an essential mobile device management software, which runs in the background of all devices? One of the key features of NDMSS is concerning smartphone capabilities, i.e., camera, Wi-Fi, microphone, and tethering are limited; So that, leakage can be prevented. While Android allows its settings to operate largely within such apps, Apple’s iOS architecture does not allow third-party apps access to the basic operation and other functionalities of the camera. As a result, Apple still avoided applications such as microphones and tethering locking on iPhones, which could create opportunities for hacking.
NDMSS was made public by NDM in 2013 to ensure that the Ministry is not accessed through hacking or breach of information confidentiality. Right at the beginning the ministry made it mandatory for military officers and officials; It gradually extended its scope to all armed forces. The absence of MDM capability in most of the iPhone series is the reason for this choice between the two options of Samsung and iPhone, while Samsung’s restriction of feature controls in the latter is the more likely option.
Whether this measure is seen as a rational security measure or a political pushback against national Pan-American digital entrepreneurs will only become clear over time. In other words, Korean soldiers are now standing at the brink of the existence of an ‘information iron curtain’,
