Securing personal mobile devices for use as digital proxies

Metronome Software proposes the development of a secure, software and IP-based, mobile platform that will integrate and co-exist with commercial products and existing applications. This preserves the familiarity end-users (both civilian and military) have for commercial mobile devices, without impacting the features that make such devices ubiquitous, such as portability and usability. Metronome is targeting the Open Handset Alliance’s Android operating system as the base platform to integrate security features with, modifying and developing new software to address the following technology areas: Secure Boot, Log-in, and Authentication, Secure Data-at-Rest and Data-in-Transit, Secure Voice and Video, and provide essential compromise deterrents. Software Cryptography as the Root-of-Trust provides the backbone for Information Assurance within this secure mobile platform. The underlying software architecture is designed in such a way that it does not prohibit the platform from addressing deployments that have more strict requirements, such as the Armed Services. The success of this software suite will enable all end-users to feel confident that commercial, Internet-enabled, mobile devices they are already using can achieve reasonable levels of communications security and Information Assurance. BENEFIT: There is an emerging corporate and civilian need for confidential communications and protection of information stored on mobile, Internet-enabled devices in the event of loss or theft. In tandem, there is an emerging trend for government and military end-users to use these same commercial devices they are familiar with, in their work and/or deployments. As these trends grow, it becomes clear that an integrated security solution is needed. Metronome’s secure, mobile platform provides security without compromising the benefits that come with today’s mobile devices, i.e. portability and usability. This software architecture is a solution that does not impact a device’s size/weight profile and power requirements, while providing the basis for meeting the needs for various types of end-users and applications, both private and government. This not only allows end-users in the military to use commercial devices, thereby minimizing the time and costs associated with training and learning a new device or application, it also mitigates the effects of Information and Identify Theft in the corporate and commercial world, thereby making the product highly desirable and marketable.