Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge Certified as Secure by UK Government Organisation CESG

Samsung Electronics announced that their latest flagship models, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, have had their encryption certified by the UK government body the Communications and Electronics Security Group (CESG) under their Commercial Product Assurance (CPA) program for data-at-rest. Samsung Electronics is the first mobile handset vendor to receive a certification of this type in UK. Samsung has been recognized with its KNOX security platform by various governments around the world such as US, Finland, Russia and more.

The UK Certification follows from the NIAP Common Criteria MDFPPv2.0 Certification awarded for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge devices earlier this year, and has now been formally recognised by CESG, the body tasked with providing assistance to Government Departments on commination security, as being compliant with their Commercial Product Assurance (CPA) scheme requirements for data-at-rest at Foundation Grade. This is a result of rigorous testing against a stringent set of requirements developed to assure security compliance for mobile devices in nations such as the UK and US. By being approved for use at the “OFFICIAL” level, both the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge are recommended devices for government and public sector organisations, including government departments, the police, local councils and hospitals.

The certification will allow government officials and public sector workers to enjoy the enhanced performance and rich functionality of Samsung KNOX on the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, which both come with KNOX 2.4 built-in, allowing you to securely connect to work files and email with just a few taps.

Graham Long, Vice President Enterprise Business Team, Samsung UK & Ireland, said: “Mobile security and data confidentiality is of paramount importance to Samsung, and we are delighted that the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge have been recognised as the most secure devices for use by the UK government. CESG’s acknowledgment of Samsung KNOX is testament to the high standard of security offered by the Samsung Android platform and once again reinforces our leading position in area, helping to provide secure mobile technology to government organisations and businesses throughout the UK.”

Dr. Injong Rhee, Executive Vice President of KNOX Business, IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics, said: “Thanks to our industry leading security credentials, Samsung KNOX devices are trusted and used around the globe by organisations in the public and private sector alike. CESG’s certification of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge will help us to go one step further in expanding our relationships with government organisations and large corporate enterprises worldwide, setting a new standard in mobile security.”

For more information, visit: www.samsungknox.com/en/security-certifications

*Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have achieved UK CESG CPA Foundation Grade Certification against the ‘Data At Rest: Always-on Mobile Devices’ Security Characteristic. This is based upon conversion of the NIAP Common Criteria MDFPPv2.0 Certification previously awarded for the S6 and S6 Edge. CESG specifically mandate that requirements for Sensitive Data Protection (SDP) are met. The Samsung KNOX SDP mechanism is specifically designed to meet these requirements.

About Samsung KNOX

Samsung KNOX is an Android-based solution for government and enterprise, designed to enhance the security of Android-powered mobile devices. Launched in 2013, it provides a comprehensive set of tools to deliver safe and secure mobile working – by protecting Android handsets from data leakages, malware and malicious attacks.

About CESG

CESG is the Information Security arm of GCHQ, and the National Technical Authority for Information Assurance within the UK. The CESG Commercial Product Assurance (CPA) scheme evaluates COTS products and their developers against published security and development standards.