LG proudly announced that two of its latest phones can be safely used by the government and the military in their line of duty.
The U.S. National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) has certified the LG G5 and LG V10, which means that the smartphones are secure enough to handle sensitive information from the national agencies and military programs.
Phones that are used by federal agencies and defense organizations must meet high levels of encryption and data safety, so the news could actually boost the sales of the models by quite a bit. The devices also pack the right software and features to make them useful in enterprise and governmental affairs.
Not only are the two smartphones very secure, but they also holster powerful specs. On top of that, they carry Google's Android for Work, maximizing the LG Guarded Access To Enterprise's (GATE) networking potential. A neat feature that comes with Android for Work is a container solution that basically lets users separate personal apps from work apps, further increasing the security of the latter.
Should you be concerned about seeing the price of the devices jumping due to the high-end technology, you can relax. The average price for an LG V10 will stay at about $485, while the LG G5 keeps an average price point of $595.
One of the reasons why LG passed the bar is the fact that the V10 and G5 handsets make use of the manufacturer's proprietary GATE technology. The protocol provides device management and hacking protection for phones, and poses as a big problem for hackers who attempt to break in. It should be noted that the certification does not make the phones impervious to hacking, but makes the process significantly more difficult.
Chris Yie, LG Mobile Communications' leader of marketing communications, explains why the certification is important.
"With the growing importance of higher security in business these days, ... a firm security platform is a must for mobile workplace devices," Yie says.
NIAP is in charge of the Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme (CCEVS), which tests how smartphones fare when compared with the international security standards. More than 25 states recognize NIAP's certification, including the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, India, Germany, France and Canada.
