Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Trigger warning: This article talks about the ongoing Gaza War, and the topic may be distressing to some readers.
TL;DR
- The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, is expanding its mandate against Android use for official purposes.
- According to reports from the Israeli media, IDF officers with ranks above Lieutenant Colonel are now banned from using Android phones.
- The IDF believes rival forces can install malware on Android devices to access troops’ locations or saved files.
The never-ending Android vs iOS clash is taking a political turn with Israel now picking favorites. As the Gaza war wages for over two years, the Israeli administration is planning steps, it thinks, that might limit cybersecurity-related incidents. In this endeavor, Israel is planning to expand its restrictions on mobile phone use to senior officers beyond a certain rank, banning Android phones for official use.
As per the updated rule, the Israel Defense Forces, or the IDF, is planning to expand its mandate to require officers at the rank of Lt. Col. (Lieutenant Colonel) and above to use only an iPhone on official connections. The Jerusalem Post reports that doing so will allow the IDF to enforce stricter controls and regulate security updates on the devices used by these senior officials. The step is expectedly motivated by the assumption that iPhones are more secure than Android devices.
The Israeli intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned about the use of social engineering attacks by assailant militaries or organizations, including Hamas. The agencies allege that messaging apps, including WhatsApp, are often used as part of “honeypot” operations that lure soldiers into revealing classified information or installing malware. Such attacks compromise the real-time location of troops and can involve hacking into files or media stored on their devices.
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This is part of the IDF’s push to restrict mobile phone usage across the force. Previously, the mandate applied to ranks from Colonel up to Chief of the General Staff, meaning that hundreds of other senior officers will now be included in the circle.
In addition to these restrictions, the IDF has been conducting internal drills and training across different ranks to apprise them of the perils of social engineering attacks and to limit exposure to social media and messaging apps that can reveal officers’ whereabouts.
The new directive will reportedly be enforced in the coming days. This may also be the first step to a wider crackdown on the use of Android phones for any military communications across more ranks, Israeli publication CTech quoted the state-funded Army Radio or Galatz. However, it notes that Android phones will be permitted for personal use.
The announcement comes just days after French authorities allegedly began pressuring GrapheneOS to install a backdoor into encrypted services, forcing the maintainers of the custom ROM to leave the country.
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