Monday, June 04, 2012: If you are avoiding Android for security reasons, you got to think again! After US, even India is looking the Android way for its defense system. Android, which is often seen with doubts, when it comes to security, managed to change many perceptions when the Pentagon allowed a version of Google's open source platform to access Defense Department computer networks. The openness of the platform, which is otherwise considered a drawback by many as it leads to an unsecured environment, came out to be its major advantage in this case. Sharing this piece of information, Venkatesh Kumaran, country manager, Wind River, said, “I see Android as an important part of the Indian defense system in times to come. In US, one of the key drivers is cost. Department of Defense still spends more money than they actually want to spend and they don't like investing in proprietary technology, because today they pay for it and in a few years it may get obsolete and they will have to pay for it again. The mindset is changing now and they want to use more open commercially available hardware and commercially available software. I think it makes sense that other countries like India also adopt the same model because of the cost-saving and re-use capabilities.”
Wind River is currently discussing the prospects of using Android in the Indian defense department. Wind River, having been a significant player in devising Android security solutions for a wide spectrum of devices like enterprise tablets, media phones and smartphones, is now one of the biggest contributors to Secure Android for military and A&D applications. It makes robust, dependable and secure hand-held devices that military forces can confidently take into the battlefield. Kumaran said, “Yes, we are beginning these discussions. We are discussing things with Government of India for using 'secure' Android as the Government of US is doing. Government personnel, that we have spoken to so far, look very interested. They see it as a key shift and key trend. We have discussed an important security feature with GOI, which is about using a virtualisation layer under the Android to mediate the access to resources on the hardware. With a virtualisation layer, you can run Android on top in a commercial sense and may be able to have a version of a 'secure' Android which has enhanced security capabilities. Virtualisation layer will make sure that only the secure Android applications get access to the resources and the non-secure version doesn't get access to the resources that are controlled by the secure applications.”

Security has been a major concern for the ministry of defense in India. Kumaran said, “With the recent attacks on the information network itself, security becomes even more important. Government is wanting to have a very secure layer at the core. They have been talking to us to see how we can help them. We want to help the government solve certain security concerns that the forces are facing at this point in time. Apart from that, there are certain futuristic programs in the defense that require an Android kind of an open environment. Android is definitely the best suited platform as on date. Secure Android is the way to go.”

Wind River is offering the solution of 'secure' Android to both state and central governments. “Secure Android is one flavour of the solutions that we are offering to the state governments. We have a similar real time operating environment. In this environment, which has multiple independent levels of security where you separate red from the black in terms of information assurances. So using that as an operating environment, you can implement a lot of features so that it is usable. It is called MILS (Multiple Independent Levels of Security),” informed Kumaran.

Android is picking up in India in a big way. What can be a better proof of it than the use of the platform in defense department!