Windows Phone 8 Gets Government Security Certification

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that Windows Phone 8 has reached an important government accreditation for security. FIPS 140-2, an accreditation that covers the protection of sensitive data, is a value to both the US and Canadian governments when they look to acquire devices, including smartphones, that meet government security standards.

Microsoft gives a full list of the accredited certificates carried by their mobile device operating system in the announcement posted to the Windows Phone Blog. You can read it here: Windows Phone 8 earns key government security certification.

You have to wonder, though, that if the US government certifies it, does that mean the NSA has taken a look and approved it because a backdoor exists? I kid, I kid.

While this is a great step forward for Windows Phone, it should be noted that other manufacturers carry many of the same accreditations. Still, a government approved device may mean that additional organizations will be more comfortable purchasing Windows Phone devices. And, from a BYOD perspective, where security is still a top concern, a government validated device could help spur a greater adoption of Windows Phone. Windows Phone currently sits at number 3 on the list of most popular devices and its market share is continuing to rise. That's not to say that number 3 is a great position to be in since Apple and Android (the leader) are so far ahead, but the continued and steady growth in market share is promising.