To curb the increased cyber threat against his campaign, Donald Trump's presidential campaign had embraced some of the most advanced forms of security measures. This includes using highly secured special mobile phones and encrypted laptops. This is after Iran hacks successfully targeted Donald's campaign and even tried to assassinate him twice.
Increased Security for Campaign Workers
The campaign has just acquired a series of secure products from Green Hills Software, a Santa Barbara, California-based company that specializes particularly in security.
According to Reuters, the organization's CEO confirmed that the campaign purchased a package that includes a customized Android phone with a proprietary operating system designed to improve security. Functions are limited to basic calling and texting but enforce very tight security measures.
Of course, this got so little coverage in mainstream media that one begins to wonder whether this development might have implications for the safety of campaigns.
"Broadly, we have robust cybersecurity measures in place, and personnel are trained to be vigilant against potentially malicious content," spokesperson Morgan Finkelstein said regarding the IT security at Harris campaign.
Dealing with Iranian Cyber Espionage
This targeted cyber espionage campaign, the upgrade of security systems is something that emanates from an Iranian hacking group known as APT42.
The hacking group is in fact notorious for the use of advanced malware designed to record conversations, as well as to activate cameras of remote devices. It was through the reports that communications compromise is not all, and APT42 also poses physical threats to individuals who stand to be targeted by agents of Iranian intelligence.
Against this backdrop, campaign officials have got their staff security up top. According to sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, there is a pressing need to improve hardware security so that hackers cannot have access to surveil them and, hence, leverage that information.
Better Secure Devices With Cutting-Edge Technology
A few campaign aides have already begun using the secure phones, developed to resist hacking from the internet. As O'Dowd, CEO of Green Hills Software says, "No security vulnerabilities have ever been published on our operating system."
The phones rely on a sandboxed communications channel: they can only join other devices within a network. They also use end-to-end encryption and they would allow their users to use two-factor authentication by default, which is best practice for protecting sensitive information.
The Trump campaign also bought customized laptops with a lower functionality that cannot be accessed from remote threats. The laptops work almost exactly like the mobile device; team members are free to work together securely while still having access to a common set of files and logs.
Technology Used in Sensitive Operations Already Tested
Legal teams handling sensitive court cases have successfully used the technology of Green Hills Software, where data security is at a premium. The company is also a federal contractor offering its operating systems for use in various military branches and FBI field offices, further adding to its reputation for security in high-stakes environments.
Even though the Trump campaign did not provide the number of purchased devices or the total cost, investing in such secure measures signals increasing awareness among candidates that vigilance is necessary in these days of cyber sophistication.
