Traditional smartphones do a poor job of protecting user data. Most optimization efforts focus on preventing unauthorized access to the hardware, but they do little when it comes to app permissions and independent control of their modules. The new Taiga phone from InfoWatch Group aims to change that with direct restrictions on data collection through apps and much stricter content management.
The Permission Problem
Every time we install an app on an Android smartphone or tablet, it presents a permission request to access certain functions. If we don't agree, the only option is to reject the app entirely, unless the operating system provides granular management of those permissions. That management is available in modern versions of Android, yet it only solves part of the problem. Some apps collect information to improve the user experience, optimize services, or something similar, and some environments cannot afford a leak, whether accidental or malicious. That's the target market for Taiga, the new smartphone from InfoWatch Group.
A Kaspersky Family Connection
There's a very interesting detail behind the Taiga. InfoWatch Group is led by Natalya Kaspersky, ex-wife of Eugene Kaspersky and former CEO of Kaspersky Lab, whose software was recently banned from US federal agencies. InfoWatch's strategy is to offer the first 50,000 Taiga units to employees of Russian state-owned companies. That means the average user will have to wait to get one of these smartphones, but InfoWatch has just opened offices in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, and it's likely to debut in those countries first. According to available information, the Taiga can detect and intercept any background data extraction, and can also block access to functions such as the camera, microphone, GPS, memory card, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile internet. App execution is regulated with blacklists and whitelists, while a built-in agent assists IT administrators in protecting each phone.
Modest Hardware, Strict Software
The Taiga smartphone has a 5-inch screen, a quad-core MediaTek SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, a microSD slot, and dual-SIM support. The operating system is a fork of Android 6.0, meaning users can run apps like Gmail or Facebook without them leaking data... in theory. There's no word on pricing yet, but rumors suggest an average of $250.
