The Indian Air Force is developing a security application for use on smart phones that will not only permit cell phones to be carried in restricted areas but also do away with the expenditure being incurred on the IAF’s existing in-house cellular network.
The IAF has suggested that an application be developed which should be mandatorily installed on the smart phone of an individual who wishes to carry it inside IAF establishments and use it without compromising upon security.
At present, personal cellular handsets are prohibited from being carried in technical areas at IAF bases or other sensitive locations and only official handsets having security features are permitted. Visitors to IAF stations are also not allowed to carry mobile phones inside.
The application will be designed to disable various data capturing and transmitting features such camera, Bluetooth and location as well as block certain applications, including social media platforms that are considered to be a security risk when entering IAF establishments.
Further, a closed used group network with an identified service provider will be created and all calls and data exchange within the network will be encrypted. A system will also be put in place with the collaboration of the service provider to monitor incoming and outgoing transmissions.
At present, the IAF uses the AFCEL (Air Force Cellular) that was launched in 2013, to meet its requirement for secure mobile telephone communication across the country. It is part of the IAF’s multi-layered communication system.
Though the IAF is reported to have initiated a project to upgrade the existing AFCEL, which has its own security-enabled handsets, it is envisioned that developing the new application that can be installed on any smart phone will obviate expenditure on AFCELs, resulting in savings to the exchequer.
The application will facilitate optimum utilisation of smart mobile phones in a controlled environment with real time monitoring, enabling effective tracking of all activities of the users and thereby ensuring a proactive security environment.
The idea for introducing such an application stems from Israel, where it has been observed that there is no prohibition on smart mobile phones being used in sensitive installations. Some proposed security features on the new application are also being used in Germany.
The IAF is also working on developing an indigenous software that can block unauthorised access to data on smart devices. The software will block calls from particular countries and detect files containing malware.
