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Android Security Politics

Trump Trades in Android Phone For Secret Service-Approved Device (cnet.com) 206

Who's got two thumbs and a Secret Service-approved phone to tweet from? On arriving in Washington on Thursday ahead of his inauguration, Donald Trump has handed in his Android device in exchange for an unidentified locked-down phone, according to Associated Press. From a report: The phone comes with a new number that is known only to a limited number of people. This marks a big change for Trump, who's frequently on the line with friends, business contacts, reporters, foreign leaders and politicians. Barack Obama was the first president to use a mobile device approved by security agencies because of hacking concerns. Initially he had a heavily modified BlackBerry and later switched to another phone that had most features totally disabled. He was not known to use it for making or receiving calls, but it was one of few devices that had access to the @POTUS Twitter account.
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Trump Trades in Android Phone For Secret Service-Approved Device

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  • If they're smart it will have been a toy phone. He can beep-boop-beep on it to his heart's content. Bonus points if pressing the buttons makes a pleasant sound each time.

    • by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:09AM (#53702825)

      Last day to bash Trump! Then he will deport you.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by CajunArson ( 465943 )

      Yeah Trump's just SO STUPID!

      You are SO ORIGINAL with that zinger! Damn, are you up for a Pulitzer?

      Incidentally, if he's so stupid, how come Hillary isn't being inaugurated today?

      • by GerardAtJob ( 1245980 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:24AM (#53702935)

        I'm not even a USA citizen, and I feel like you since
        - he did nothing yet
        - he was elected.

        Perhaps you'll see me hate him in a few weeks, but not yet lol

        • by Mycroft-X ( 11435 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @11:26AM (#53703335)

          I'm not even a USA citizen, and I feel like you since
          - he did nothing yet
          - he was elected.

          One Nobel Peace Prize, coming right up!

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Anonymous Coward

          I would argue that he has done something already. Those tweets about the trade deals, disparaging the UN/NATO, etc, are already having an affect on our foreign policy. This is evident by the moves that China has been making to enact their own trade deal as well as countries like Germany signaling that they are unhappy. He needs to realize that all of those off the cuff remarks do really mean something in the geo-political world because they signal his intentions. This bullshit about let's wait and see what

        • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          He's done plenty. Knocked billions off the value of multiple companies, scared the shit out of a lot of people who rely on Obamacare, divided the county...

          • by GerardAtJob ( 1245980 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @01:41PM (#53704329)

            That's not him, but all the FUD created by medias lol.
            Country was already divided, since it's voters that votes, not Trump.
            All I just wanna say is -> wait and see! If he does bad, then protest all you want and kick he's sorry ass out of there, but please wait to see what he's going to do, and how.

            We, in Canada, got one interesting guy which love to selfy and every media ""loved"" him... we're stacking record debt since then...
            I guess many US and worldwide big shots are just playing with all your minds via media. Just calm down, wait and see for yourself.

            TDLR : Don't "think emotionally".

            • That's not him, but all the FUD created by medias

              I'm getting sick of hearing this B.S.
              The effect Trump's casual comments on the on the stock market - on at least two occasions that I can name (Cancel Air Force1, Dec. 6th; Dollar too strong comment, Jan. 16th) are measurable and are matters of public record, as are many other troubling statements and contradictions by the man.

              What are we to do, pretend that we don't see what we see?

          • by Anonymous Coward

            Yeah, um, he's not the only one dividing the country. As they say, it takes two to tango.

          • divided the county...

            That's a work in progress.

            I heard rumours that California is considering secession. Which would put Trump in a category previously occupied by one Abe Lincoln - president's who have started a civil war.

        • I'm not even a USA citizen . . .

          . . . and probably neither were a lot of folks who voted in the US Presidential Election . . . for all of the candidates.

          Oh, and Trump's new phone is not called a "Smart" phone because of all the features and apps, but because it is a Maxwell Smart shoe-phone. Just until that number gets posted on the Internet . . . Trump's shoes will be ringing like crazy! What a hoot and a half for a boring party . . . ring up and talk to Trump's feet!

      • by kilfarsnar ( 561956 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:46AM (#53703089)

        Yeah Trump's just SO STUPID!

        You are SO ORIGINAL with that zinger! Damn, are you up for a Pulitzer?

        Incidentally, if he's so stupid, how come Hillary isn't being inaugurated today?

        I don't think he's stupid at all. I just think he's a boor and a con man.

      • Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)

        by Opportunist ( 166417 )

        Because people enjoy having a president they can identify with.

      • by Anonymous Coward

        The best part about Trump is that it's never going to get old. He keeps talking. If he could learn to shut the fuck up, people might eventually forget how stupid and dishonest he is. But he keeps reminding everybody, "Hey, I'm stupid and dishonest!"

        Incidentally, if he's so stupid, how come Hillary isn't being inaugurated today?

        Because people didn't want that piece of shit to be president either. You might be surprised to learn that this is totally independent of Trump's stupidity and dishonesty. (If Trump h

      • Incidentally, if he's so stupid, how come Hillary isn't being inaugurated today?

        Because she was even dumber than he is? We're talking about relativism at this point. When you're talking about two retards, declaring one to be smarter than the other does not change the fact that they are both still a retarded.

      • Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)

        Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 20, 2017 @12:21PM (#53703687)

        Incidentally, if he's so stupid, how come Hillary isn't being inaugurated today?

        Partly because when SHE had the opportunity to hand in HER phone for a government one, she refused. Which I find hilarious.

        The major reason I knew I, personally, could never vote for her was when (via leaked emails) it became clear that the reason she was mad at government IT and decided to use her own email server was because they wouldn't let her use her phone inside a SCIF. A SCIF is a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility [wikipedia.org]. The entire point to it is that it's safe from eavesdropping, and therefore is shielded from cell reception (or any kind of reception - it's basically a giant Faraday cage).

        And Clinton was trying to force them to let her use her personal phone inside of it.

        The actual reason she lost, her complete lack of touch with workers, is just gravy. But the fact that she was the type of over-demanding "VP of marketing" type who demanded IT completely ignore security was enough to make me hate her, ignoring the mountain of other reasons. And, of course, her complete disdain for security practices and those who set them up and enforce them then came back to bite her in the ass when her campaign's email was hacked, multiple times. So that was nice too.

        Am I happy we wound up with Trump? No. That's a problem in the Primaries process, where other, better candidates were weeded out because despite the fact that the majority of the GOP hates Trump, they weren't able to settle on a single candidate. In a proper voting system like IRV, Trump never would have won the nomination. Am I happier that the harpy will never see the White House? Hell yes!

      • Incidentally, if he's so stupid, how come Hillary isn't being inaugurated today?

        Because spewing racism while frothing at the mouth and making unrealistic and truly bizarre promises resonates more with Americans?
        Because stupidity has nothing to do with popularity?
        Because just because one man is incredibly stupid doesn't mean his opponent isn't incredibly dangerous?

        Given the choice of having my country run by Kim Jong Un and a bobblehead Jesus I too would do my best to ensure the ever agreeable Jesus gets inaugurated.

      • by tsotha ( 720379 )
        Quite literally, Hillary isn't being inaugurated because she's not as smart as Trump when it comes to security.
      • if he's so stupid, how come Hillary isn't being inaugurated today?

        Because voters are stupid. Trump knows how to play suckers. A million trade wars won't bring back old-style manufacturing jobs. It's educate or perish. He sold them snake-oil-nostalgia.

    • I'm having fun watching myself get modded down hard. =D

  • Well... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    I guess someone will have to program Putin's number in it for him.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      They'll just add a button with Putin's picture on it for him.

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Don't worry, a helpful Russian agent will see to that.

  • Tweet less (Score:3, Interesting)

    by jwhyche ( 6192 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:11AM (#53702841) Homepage

    Did they take tweeter off it?

    • by gnick ( 1211984 )

      I don't know what the security implications are of having Twitter installed on the phone, but I'd be shocked if DJT didn't demand it. I'm sure a lot of his supporters and staff would like to have Twitter taken away so he'll stop making "He said WHAT!?!" headlines, but I'd be surprised if the inauguration was the last we heard of @realDonaldTrump. I do hope that he maintains a strict line between his personal opinions and tweets as @POTUS - I'd be upset if those weren't vetted in some fashion before being sh

  • The office? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    The safest thing to do is give him a phone with no sim card, set the shortcut for twitter to open notepad, and let him tweet til his heart is content in that local text file.

    • Then later dump that text file to pastebin... 1000+ post /. comment section ensues

    • by Agripa ( 139780 )

      The safest thing to do is give him a phone with no sim card, set the shortcut for twitter to open notepad, and let him tweet til his heart is content in that local text file.

      Wouldn't it be safer to give him an etch-a-sketch [dilbert.com]?

  • Please... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Kierthos ( 225954 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:16AM (#53702873) Homepage

    tell me the phone somehow has Twitter blocked entirely.

  • Lets face it, the President of the United States is the world's biggest target, Tump with getting elected without the popular vote + stating negative comments towards nearly anyone who didn't fully indorse him (people, corporations and countries) + have a reputation as a a bully and in general everything wrong with America. Really reinforces the fact he is a target. His off the shelf Android Phone, probably could be (Probably already had been) hacked from the resources of all the groups that hate him.

    • by guacamole ( 24270 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:37AM (#53703033)

      Let's face it. Your argument is kinda weak because every president elect has always been the world's biggest target regardless of how much of the popular vote the pres won (for the curious, the presidential candidates must always spend resources to optimize their electoral college votes because that's what counts, unlike the useless popular vote). The president's smartphone is always locked down and provided by the government IT specialists regardless of what his previous preferences were. Just last year, when the Samsung Galaxy S7 was "the thing", Obama was handed a "locked down" Galaxy S4 because this is how it works. The commander in chief must always be using a tested and locked down device.

    • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

      by Eyezen ( 548114 )
      I really tire of hearing he got elected without the popular vote. Why? Because it's absolutely meaningless and the only thing the left keeps hanging there hat on.

      The rules of the game are to win the most electoral votes, the end. Harping on the popular vote is like a losing football team harping on the fact that they had more yards total offense or a higher TOP (time of possession). Doesn't matter-the rules say the team with the most points wins. If the rules say gain the most yards, the strategy of t
    • Tump with getting elected without the popular vote + stating negative comments towards nearly anyone who didn't fully indorse him (people, corporations and countries) + have a reputation as a a bully and in general everything wrong with America.

      So, if he is whacked today before taking office (and Obama appoints the next President, as CNN helpfully advised us will happen [youtu.be]), you'll be relieved and think — perhaps even state — the murderer has done all of a us a favor?

  • Since he said that he doesn't believe the intelligence services I wouldn't be surprised if it blows up. An exhaustive investigation will show that the Russians were to blame!
  • I hope they're also giving him a locked-down version of the nuclear football.

  • by guacamole ( 24270 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:28AM (#53702965)

    I am personally glad our new president wasn't part of the iSheep sect.

    • I use both iPhone & Samsung. If Apple doesn't give info to authorities on the terrorists I'll only be using Samsung until they give info.
      — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016

      https://twitter.com/realDonald... [twitter.com]


  • Why believe the intelligence agencies now? -is this another vector for "leaks" and "very dishonest reporting" + "fake news"?

    I'd say more but Trump is doing very well in digging himself into a hole without needed a shove.
  • by kilfarsnar ( 561956 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @10:48AM (#53703103)

    He was not known to use it for making or receiving calls, but it was one of few devices that had access to the @POTUS Twitter account.

    And really, that's the most important part for Trump.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Tell me they replaced it with a Samsung Note 7.

  • It would be better if Trump just tweeted by sending text messages to his staff, who can then post it. That would also add an extra level of protection against making a fool of himself.

    • Why would anyone who isn't Trump himself want to protect him from making a fool of himself?

      The more he speaks his mind, the better off everyone is. Let him dig his hole.

      • The more he speaks his mind, the better off everyone is. Let him dig his hole.

        While he has made some mistakes and might benefit from a bit of feedback and moderation, Trump's tweets generally have worked for him pretty well.

        It's the left that is digging their hole on social media right now with their over-the-top outrage, fear mongering, and name calling.

      • by gnick ( 1211984 )

        Why would anyone who isn't Trump himself want to protect him from making a fool of himself?

        We elected him POTUS. When he makes an ass of himself, we all look bad. I'd prefer it if he'd stop.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    the idiot will soon tweet his new number and brag about it being secure.

  • Also contains a custom version of Twitter that allows Putin to review and approve his tweets.
  • Android? (Score:5, Funny)

    by DesertBlade ( 741219 ) on Friday January 20, 2017 @11:58AM (#53703545)
    I thought only people who couldn't afford to use iPhone purchase Android.
    • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      I thought only people who couldn't afford to use iPhone purchase Android.

      No, Trump vowed to banish Apple from the land because they refused to unlock that iPhone the FBI was bringing them to court about.

      You know, the one they wanted the special "backdoor firmware" written for.

      Apple refused, and Trump said he'd get rid of his iPhone until Apple became a good little dog and write the FBI their backdoor firmware.

  • I can understand why the Secret Service might be the ones who actually break the bad news and hand over the handset; but does anyone know if they actually have any role in 'approving' it; or do they just provide whatever the Information Assurance Directorate tells them is the correct answer?

    Even aside from their recent history of embarrassing scandal, you don't really think of them as one of the techie outfits.
  • I'm assuming it's either a BlackBerry or some Android... anyone have an idea?
  • Certainly smarter than Obama [nytimes.com]

  • Following the advice of the Secret Service? Already more qualified than Hillary.
  • why no one has commented about this: http://metro.co.uk/video/donal... [metro.co.uk]

    Is Trump trying to tell us something about his hotels? Does he have a bunch of video of politicians, heads of state, and CEOs doing things they'd rather not have become public knowledge?

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