The ABCs of apps

摘要

Mobile apps are poised to revolutionize the way the military conducts its operations. Soldiers armed with smart phones can direct artillery fire, conduct training in the field and chart critical topography. Some apps come from commercial sources, others are crafted at the command level, while others are being developed ad hoc by soldiers in the field. Sooner or later, they all must be vetted in order to be officially incorporated into a soldier's toolkit. For developers looking to produce a usable product, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has supported the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the development of a set of guidelines to create a compliant product. But the crucial element of the process comes from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which certifies the security of new apps.