Ruag develops an ultra-secure smartphone for the Swiss army

Ruag MRO develops Guardian, a mobile platform for the military and law enforcement, combining advanced security and privacy. The system, which will also have satellite communication capabilities, is designed in partnership with the Geneva firm Wisekey and integrates Scion technology, born at the ETHZ.

Ruag MRO has developed an ultra-secure mobile smartphone, intended for the army and law enforcement, report several German-speaking Swiss media. The Swiss arms company presents on its website a prototype equipped with a mobile platform called Guardian, which includes an operating system and a suite of applications accessible from a dedicated app store. Relaying information from the daily Walliser Bote, the specialist site Inside-IT specifies that the system is based on a mass-produced Samsung device and a variation of Android.

Selection of secure apps including Threema

Ruag’s online documentation states that privacy is guaranteed, particularly because Google and other third-party services and applications have been removed. In their place, the Guardian platform offers an array of open source applications “verified for maximum control,” in Ruag’s words. An article from the Digitec blog, based in particular on the Walliser Bote, highlights that among these tools, we find the Swiss messaging app Threema. Scion technology, born at ETHZ, ensures secure data transmission. According to the media Watson, the Guardian mobile platform would also house its own AI, named Lasa.

Partitions, encryption, containerization

Ruag mentions other elements aimed at ensuring the security of his system. Operating system updates are managed on separate partitions, and device encryption ensures data security in the event of loss or theft. Furthermore, a containerization technique partitions applications to prevent unauthorized interaction between them, while providing the possibility of removing them remotely if necessary.

To develop its ultra-secure mobile platform, Ruag is collaborating with the Geneva company Wisekey. The latter, among other things, specializes in the field and recently announced the SEALPhone, which it describes as “a next-generation secure Web3 smartphone designed for advanced cryptographic applications and unrivaled security and data protection” .

Satellite communication via Wisekey fleet

According to Watson, Wisekey helped equip the Guardian system with satellite communications capabilities. WISeSAT.Space, a subsidiary of WISeKey, announced that it was strengthening its strategic partnership with the Swiss Army last April. The company says it is creating a fleet of satellites equipped with encrypted communications systems. “WISeSAT.Space’s business model is focused on the global delivery of secure IoT connectivity via satellite as a service. This includes the provision of the satellite platform, launch, integration, ground station services, and all architecture and security components as part of a complete SaaS solution for IoT connectivity based in space, secure and low consumption”, specifies the press release from the Wisekey group.