Another touted benefit of the certifications is that users will be able to use Windows Mobile devices in conjunction with government-issued identity badges to authenticate themselves on secure networks, Microsoft said.
The two certifications are:
- Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 2+ (EAL2+) status
- Approval by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG)
The
Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) has been adopted worldwide by 24 member countries, and has seven
Evaluation Assurance Levels. Windows Mobile's EAL2+ rating lets U.S. government agencies with worldwide operations use it knowing the platform is "universally recognized" as having been tested exhaustively, Microsoft says.
As for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) approval, this means that Windows Mobile has met requirements set forth on various
Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) published by the agency, and can be used to access secure networks. To authenticate to the networks, the devices now can be employed with the DoD's
Common Access Cards (CACs), which are carried by all personnel. The cards incorporate magnetic stripe, bar codes, and contactless technologies.
Randy Siegel, enterprise mobility strategist for Microsoft Federal, said, "By reaching these security milestones, Windows Mobile provides government agencies the tremendous cost benefit of rapidly deploying commercial off-the-shelf software solutions."
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