What's the Russian super officer's cell phone security that is twice as high as the iPhone X?

This secure mobile device M-663S Atlas is made by Atlas Science and Technology Center. It looks quite similar to Nokia with a metal case and plastic, screen with sapphire and shockproof rubber. Color screen and MP3 music player.

A special feature of this phone is that it is equipped with hardware that encrypts voice information through a special cryptographic signal block. Now, only 'Megafone' has a license to exploit encrypted information provided by Atlas.

The M-663S still works well with normal GSM networks, only the talk channel is protected, and SMS and other forms of data transmission are not.

If the device is lost, the device will automatically delete the encryption keys thanks to remote activation of emergency mode via mobile network.

This new model is completely hand-assembled and takes 4 months to produce. Each year only 100 units are shipped.

The M-663S with strong encryption capability can connect to the secret communication channels of the Russian Federation military via civilian mobile networks or when making calls from abroad. This will allow the officers to command the army more effectively.

According to Russian newspaper Izvestia, citing sources of the Ministry of Defense of the country, the mobile device, known as Atlas M-663S, costs 115,000 rubles and is capable of connecting to civilian networks. generally, allowing generals to use them not only on duty, but also during exercises or on overseas business trips.

Crafted by Moscow-based Atlas Science and Engineering Center, the handset is hand-assembled through meticulous work, with only 100 phones being produced each year. This type of phone will be issued only to brigade-level commanding officers and above.

Inheriting and evolving from the standard GSM SMP-Atlas/2 phone prototype, the Atlas M-663S phone – password protected, weighs 130 grams. In addition to a special software upgrade, the handset features a tempered glass display, impact-resistant rubber cover, multi-color display, and MP3 player software.

SMP-ATLAS/2 phone model upgraded by Atlas Science and Engineering Center to a version for the Russian military

The phone can work in temperatures from -20 degrees Celsius to over 50 degrees Celsius, and works normally after being submerged in water at a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes.

Talking to Radio Sputnik, Dr. Vitaly Vekhov - an expert in the field of information security at Moscow Technical University Bauman - said that before the appearance of this special phone, military officials. and Russian security agencies have to use conventional dual-SIM phones manufactured by foreign countries and cannot guarantee security.

'The first SIM is responsible for connecting the user to the communication network or carrier, while the second SIM provides the security of information during transmission over open communication lines. Normally, foreign-made telephones cannot be sufficiently tested to detect spying devices for intelligence purposes."

David Pac

Update 24 May 2019