Skip to main content

InfoWatch to announce security-focused Taiga phone at GITEX Technology Week 2017

Russian security firm InfoWatch Group will announce its new Taiga smartphone at GITEX Technology Week 2017. Tech Radar reported that the company says that its upcoming smartphone is aimed at preventing data leaks, which have become of increasing concern as of late.

The technology itself has been in development for four years, with both Infowatch Group and Taiga Systems systems contributing. InfoWatch Group claims that the the phone will protect users from leaks of sensitive data such as contacts, SMS, geodata, photos, videos, and documents.  The firm also claims that the phone will protect corporations from unintentional employee leaks.

Recommended Videos

“With the rising risk of data leaks through consumer mobile devices, smartphone manufacturers, and software developers, the best way for corporations to reliably protect their information on a mobile device is the Taiga system that eliminates software backdoors and integrates DLP (Data Loss Prevention) Software,” Kristina Tantsyura, General Manager of InfoWatch Gulf, said.

As far as the phone’s software is concerned, not much is known about it right now aside from the fact that it will be running “proprietary Android 6.0 firmware.” This means that users of this smartphone will not be running the latest versions of the Android OS, but, given that it is aimed at corporate clients, we don’t see that being a major issue. We doubt too many people will go out and purchase this phone as their primary device, but we could see it becoming a popular work phone for companies that give out those sorts of things to their employees.

Security concerns are becoming increasingly relevant in recent years as more people, especially politicians and those in the business community, become informed regarding the risks of hacks and data thefts. InfoWatch is far from the only company to target this growing audience. We recently reported on Google’s upcoming security program which will make use of two physical keys in order to secure a user’s data.

More information on the phone could be revealed at GITEX Technology Week 2017. The event will feature numerous tech companies, conferences, and exhibits, and will take place October 8-12 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Eric Brackett
Former Digital Trends Contributor
The Vivo X200 Pro mini is the small phone of my dreams
Vivo X200 Pro Mini in pink.

There was once a time when the Sony Xperia Z Compact carried the bastion of pocketable powerhouses. But as consumer priorities shifted, especially here in the East, smaller phones quickly ran out of favor. Remember how quickly the iPhone “mini” vanished to pave the way for the Plus?

One might argue functional limitations are to blame. You need a large battery. The next-gen camera stack needs space. Yet, every so often, some brand pulls a rabbit out of the proverbial hat. This time, it’s the Chinese smartphone powerhouse Vivo.

Read more
The Samsung Galaxy A16 sets a new record for budget Android phones
Galaxy A16 banner Samsung.

We've known that Samsung's next lineup of budget phones was on the way, especially after all of the information that leaked last week. Now, we have confirmation on several elements of the phone, but the most important of them all is the incredible (and unheard of) six years of security patches the Galaxy A16 5G will receive from launch. That means it will be fully up to date until October 31, 2030.

We reported on this possibility a couple of weeks ago, but now it's confirmed — and that's a big deal. Many budget phones only receive two years of security patches post-launch. The Galaxy A16 5G's six years of support puts it only one year behind Samsung's flagship models in the Galaxy S24 series. For a phone as cheap as the Galaxy A16, that's incredible.

Read more
Your iPhone and Apple Watch are getting huge software updates today
An iPhone home screen with iOS 18.

In June, Apple announced new software features for some of its most popular devices, including the iPhone and Apple Watch. Today, everyone with supported devices will receive the iOS 18 and watchOS 11 updates.

Apple has not officially announced the exact timing for today's new software updates, but they typically follow a consistent process for each update. It looks like iOS 18 and watchOS 11 will likely be released at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. In addition to these updates, Apple will release iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and visionOS 2.

Read more