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Today's Top Stories
1. iPhone 5 in DISA's sights
2. Spectrum sharing faces skepticism
3. FCC will act on PCAST spectrum recommendations
4. Mobile Device Privacy Act calls for vendors to disclose monitoring
5. FCC, DHS, NIST should advance mobile security efforts, says GAO Editor's Corner: Many paths to mobile security Also Noted: Box
Political robocalls to smartphones can lead to hefty fines; White House hosts safety datapalooza; and much more...  Follow @fiercegov on Twitter
More News From the FierceMobileGovernment Network:
1. Predictive analytics faces skepticism in government
2. Privacy emerges to forefront of technology regulatory concern
3. NIST calls for explicit cybersecurity risk methodologies
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Many paths to mobile security
 The National Institute of Standards and Technology tells us the smartphones and tablets on which federal workers increasingly rely are inherently unsecure. They lack the "strong roots of trust" that are baked into laptops and other technology.
So, what's an agency to do? Traditionally, the path to IT security is paved with requirements or the fine print in solicitations. It's commonly held that federal chief information officers can sleep (somewhat) easier knowing they've demanded FIPS 140-2 encryption on the devices that come through their doors, for example. But according to the Government Accountability Office and the Defense Information Systems Agency, security can be achieved through other means as well. -->READ THE FULL EDITOR'S CORNER Read more about: FCC
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Today's Top News 1. iPhone 5 in DISA's sights
 The Defense Information Systems Agency expects to fully support the iPhone 5, says Rear Adm. David Simpson, vice director of DISA.
"My primary NIPRNet device now is an iPhone 4. So, I'm very anxious to see the 5 come out," said Simpson during a Sept. 13 AFCEA DC event in Arlington, Va. "We do expect that when the iPhone 5 comes out that we will be integrating that into our capabilities out of the box and then building security around it." Simpson said DISA's enterprise mobility efforts are focused on shifting the burden of security from the device itself to the network ecosystem, "from the device to the mobile device management piece at the center, the mobile application store and sensing throughout." In addition to a more device-agnostic and network-centric security strategy, Simpson said the conversations the Defense Department is having with Apple about security are encouraging. Apple "increasingly understands that there is commonality in many of our security objectives with the objectives of many of Apples other customers," he said, adding that he believes that dialog will continue to be "a healthy one." If iOS devices are passing muster with DISA, the services that work with DISA, such as Army, could welcome the devices as well. Mike Krieger, Army deputy chief information officer, offered a glowing endorsement of DISA's management of Army mobility efforts thus far. "For the first time in the 4 years that I've been here, I can touch all 47,000 BlackBerrys in the Army, I can change the policies, I can see it," said Krieger. "Neither [Maj. Gen. Jennifer] Napper, nor I ever had that capability before we went to DISA." For more:
- listen to audio from the event Related Articles:
Marine Corps needs data on its mobile devices
Carey: Mobility key to DoD's future
BYOD for unclassified at DoD possible in 2014 Read more about: David Simpson, Mike Krieger
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2. Spectrum sharing faces skepticism
 Spectrum sharing between the federal government and private sector was the subject of much skepticism during a Sept. 13 congressional hearing.
"I am not ready to accept the opinion that the norm for spectrum use should be sharing, today. That's simply not good enough," said House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on communications and technology Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.). In a July report, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recommended dynamic and cognitive sharing of a gigahertz of spectrum with the private sector over the clearing and reallocation of federal licenses on the grounds that the latter option is too expensive, would take too long to implement and would disrupt federal operations. But, "there is not simply a lot of sharing going on between the public and the private sector," said Mark Goldstein, Government Accountability Office director of physical infrastructure issues, during the hearing. "The business model essentially does not work because of the uncertainty involved," he added. Hearing witnesses also questioned the National Telecommunication and Information Administration's estimate that it would cost $18 billion and a decade to reallocate federal users from the 1755 to 1850 spectrum band, an estimate that Karl Nebbia, NTIA associate administrator for the office of spectrum management told the committee is a key motivator behind a sharing approach. The $18 billion figure didn't stem from independent analysis, but from a compilation of agency estimates, Walden said, who also called for "more rigorous analysis before giving up on clearing spectrum." But hearing witness Preston Marshall, deputy director of the Information Sciences Institute within the University of Southern California, told the committee that the PCAST recommendations don't involve anything that "hasn't been done for decades." Sharing already occurs, but on a one-on-one basis between private sector firms and federal agencies, he said. The PCAST recommendations just propose to systematize sharing, which in turn is the only way to make federally-held spectrum available to the private sector, Marshall said. "Our federal spectrum has turned into hard ice, we pushed it, pushed, we've compressed federal users, and it becomes exponentially more difficult to relocate them," he said. "We're not going to relocate a gigahertz of federal users," he added. For more:
- go to the hearing webpage (prepared testimonies and webcast available)
- watch Dan Rather singing "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" Related Articles:
FCC will act on PCAST spectrum recommendations
White House proposes public and private sector spectrum sharing
Federal-commercial spectrum sharing must improve, says White House official Read more about: Karl Nebbia, 1755-1850 MHz
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3. FCC will act on PCAST spectrum recommendations
 The Federal Communications Commission will "initiate formal steps" to implement the recommendations on spectrum sharing issued by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in July.
The commission will take concrete action before the end of the year, including freeing up spectrum in the 3.5 gigahertz band for small cell use, said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Sept. 12 in an agency statement. Freeing up spectrum in this band will add 100 megahertz to the nation's wireless broadband networks, Genachowski added. An FCC spokesperson reportedly told Ars Technica that the 3550-3650 megahertz band of spectrum planned for sharing with the wireless industry is currently used for radar. The idea that commercial carriers and government-owned radar could coexist in the same block of spectrum may sound problematic, but the PCAST report (.pdf) claims it is possible. "Both the Department of Defense and commercial parties have been developing cognitive radio technology that allows secondary users to operate if they sense that the primary user is not active," says the report. "For example, the DOD and NTIA collaborated with industry to develop the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) technology that enables 5.8GHz WiFi devices to detect and avoid military radars," it adds. The July 20 PCAST report proposed a strategy that could leverage new technology for efficient spectrum use to create a "shared-use superhighway." Rather than have separate groups own separate bands, the approach would establish frequencies that were sharable among multiple parties, allowing spectrum traffic to be rerouted as space is available. Genachowski said freeing up the 100 megahertz of spectrum "will represent a major innovation in spectrum policy that will in turn enable innovations in wireless applications throughout the economy, including energy, healthcare, education, and other uses yet to be discovered." For more:
- read Genachowski's statement Related Articles:
White House proposes public and private sector spectrum sharing
Federal-commercial spectrum sharing must improve, says White House official Read more about: PCAST, FCC
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4. Mobile Device Privacy Act calls for vendors to disclose monitoring
 Mobile device vendors and service providers would have to tell consumers about monitoring software at the time of sale under a bill (.pdf) introduced in the House Sept. 12.
If a device comes with monitoring software, the Mobile Device Privacy Act (H.R. 6377) would require vendors and providers to tell consumers what kind of information it can monitor, who will see the information and how it will be used. Consumers who consent to monitoring would also have to be told how to opt out later. The disclosure rules would apply to mobile app vendors too, at the time of download. The bill would allow exemptions in cases where the Federal Trade Commission decides monitoring is being used "consistent with the reasonable expectations of consumers." Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, sponsored the bill. "Consumers should know and have the choice to say no to software on their mobile devices that is transmitting their personal and sensitive information. This is especially true for parents of children and teens," Markey said in a Sept. 12 release. The bill would also require whoever receives data through monitoring to have information security procedures in place and a means to find and fix vulnerabilities. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) co-sponsored the bill, which has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. For more:
- go to the THOMAS page for H.R. 6377
- download the bill (.pdf) Related Articles:
Transparency not enough for mobile app privacy protection, say stakeholders
Pew poll: Smartphone users have privacy concerns
NIST: Mobile devices inherently insecure Read more about: Diana DeGette
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5. FCC, DHS, NIST should advance mobile security efforts, says GAO
The federal government can do more to encourage the private sector to implement mobile security safeguards and raise public awareness around device security, according to a Government Accountability Office report (.pdf) dated Sept. 18. The Federal Communications Commission's communications security, reliability and interoperability council, or CSRIC, has published reports recommending wireless carriers and device manufacturers adopt best practices around security, and examining major cybersecurity threats to networks, says GAO. It also reached a device anti-theft agreement in April 2012 with the CTIA-the Wireless Association and several wireless carriers. Still, report authors say, the FCC has not done enough to "encourage device manufacturers and wireless carriers to implement a more complete industry baseline of mobile security safeguards." Similarly, the Homeland Security Department and the National Institute of Standards and Technology have several programs to educate consumers on mobile security vulnerabilities. For example, DHS's computer emergency readiness team has developed tip sheets and technical papers on mobile security. And NIST has published special reports on mobile device use within government as well as guidelines on the security of cellphones. Despite these efforts, DHS and NIST lack performance measures to chart whether consumer awareness has improved as a result, says GAO. Report authors recommend the FCC continue to "work with wireless carriers and device manufacturers on implementing cybersecurity best practices by encouraging them to implement a complete industry baseline of mobile security safeguards based on commonly accepted security features and practices." They also suggest the FCC monitor industry's progress in achieving milestones once a baseline is established. The report recommends NIST determine whether or not its initiatives are improving consumer mobile security by establishing a baseline measure of consumer awareness and developing related performance measures. The agencies agreed with GAO's recommendations. For more:
- download the report, GAO-12-757 (.pdf) Related Articles:
NIST: Mobile devices inherently insecure
Portable devices greatest cause of PII government data breaches
Interior looks to secure mobile devices used internationally Read more about: GAO, US-CERT
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Also Noted | This week's sponsor is Box. | | Government IT leaders are increasingly turning to cloud-based solutions that centralize and control information, as well as meet the needs of today's highly mobile and collaborative workforce. Learn how Box delivers on the promise of cloud and mobility with secure collaboration that mitigates risk and reduces the cost of maintaining legacy file servers. Download this overview today!
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> Techies to Congress: Hands off the apps. Article (Natty Jo)
> HHS launches eldercare locator mobile site. Post (Mobile Gov Blog)
> Political robocalls to smartphones can lead to hefty fines. Article (Politico)
> White House hosts safety datapalooza. Article (FedScoop)
> Chat app used by activists has security flaws. Article (CNET) And Finally... Amazing facts that will blow your mind. Embedded video > Whitepaper: Mobile Device Management for Box Accounts Government today is increasingly collaborative and highly mobile, with a growing number of workers accessing agency content outside the office. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management reports nearly 114,000 federal employees, or 5.7% of the federal workforce, spends some time teleworking. A comprehensive mobile strategy isn’t a nice-to-have, anymore – it’s a necessity. Learn how Box can help. Download this Whitepaper today! > Whitepaper: Empowering Your Mobile Workers Today’s most productive employees are mobile, and your agency’s IT strategy has to be ready to support them with easy, reliable, 24/7 access to the information they need, across a broad range of communication devices. Learn how your agency can meet the many needs of your mobile workers - without overwhelming your IT department. Download this whitepaper now! | ©2012 FierceMarkets This email was sent to ignoble.experiment@arconati.us as part of the FierceMobileGovernment email list which is administered by FierceMarkets, 1900 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 628-8778.
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