Defense Smartphone, Tablet Update

The Defense Department is currently trying out mobile computing gizmos in all the services, and Teri Takai, the department's chief information officer, said she expects to "approve broader deployment of smartphones and tablet computing for unclassified use within the next several months."

In written testimony for a hearing held Tuesday by the emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, Takai said Defense will pilot application storefronts to manage configuration of the mobile gadgets and also as a source of secure mobile apps.

She said the Defense Information Systems Agency and the National Security Agency, working together with industry, have developed security configuration baselines for several of the major smartphone technologies and are working on more, but she did not specify brands or operating systems.