How secure is the Ubuntu phone

Hi.

I write for a living. And - needless to say - not all my sources would be happy to get their names out in the open. I do take my source protection very, very seriously. Tomorrow - f.i. - I will meet a guy, who would be fired, if the contact ever became known.

For that reason, when I use a phone, I use an old nokia with a prepaid card...I am fully aware, that neither the Iphone, the new Nokia or any version of Android are meet basic security standards.

I would, however, like to get a smartphone...how does the Ubuntu phone measure up when it comes to security.

PCs - My work pc runs with tails. The rest of the family PCs run Ubuntu - with one windows for games only.

So: Let me hear your input: Can I trust an Ubuntu Phone - or should I stick to the old ways..?

It depends on how you manage your device and OS, and how much knowledge you had with Linux and Ubuntu. From the story(using Tails, wow!), I think you a guy that are very serious in protecting your privacy and important data from stealed and exposed. Well, Ubuntu is Linux, and from my opinion, it secure enough for some things you do with it. Since Ubuntu Touch give you option just like in desktop, I think it's good enough to do what you want to do. Using ubuntu touch is same as desktop for me, just connect keyboard and mouse...you get a PC + touchscreen(it's just a humor, but might be true). Well I hope, there is Tails for smartphones.

In what areas of security are you inquiring about?

As you know all mobile communications go through the computers of a service provider just as all communications by email also do. In fact all our use of the internet is going through someone's computers. All that is a potential point of privacy vulnerability that is outside the scope of the computer OS.

Also, unless we are using an encrypted WiFi connection the transmissions between the device and the WiFi access point can be detected by anyone with the right equipment who is in range of the radio signals.

The Ubuntu phone is designed to be a normal kind of smart phone for the mass market. I do not think that Canonical, the sponsor of Ubuntu, would get involved in making the kind of computer OS that you seem to desire.

On the other hand a lot of work has been done on the Ubuntu phone OS to prevent malicious code being installed and doing unauthorised stuff on a Ubuntu phone. And when the benefits of all that work on the Ubuntu phone come to the Ubuntu desktop, then our desktop and laptop machines will be even more secure.

Do, you wish to ask about that side of security?

Regards.

Okay - I am fully aware of the inbuilt vulnerabilities of the Internets. For that reason also, I have chosen a European mail provider, who has sworn to abide by the, pretty strict, German laws. (Not optimal, but still waaay ahead of the US providers - the fate of Lavabit should serve as a lesson).

My scepticism re smartphones is, f.i., that you allow Apple or Google or Facebook whosoever to check your mails, your connection records or your friend files - whatever they may think of.

Without sounding paranoid, a colleague has had some pretty chilling experiences with an android phone: He is talking (analogue) with a friend about a third person - and a little later Facebook suggests that very same dude as a friend.

So lets be frank: I trust ubuntu more than most other OS. But I cannot see, from the material I have read, whether an Ubuntu Phone has the same privacy problems as the other systems.

Or not?

niels_astrup said: Okay - I am fully aware of the inbuilt vulnerabilities of the Internets. For that reason also, I have chosen a European mail provider, who has sworn to abide by the, pretty strict, German laws. (Not optimal, but still waaay ahead of the US providers - the fate of Lavabit should serve as a lesson).

My scepticism re smartphones is, f.i., that you allow Apple or Google or Facebook whosoever to check your mails, your connection records or your friend files - whatever they may think of.

So lets be frank: I trust ubuntu more than most other OS. But I cannot see, from the material I have read, whether an Ubuntu Phone has the same privacy problems as the other systems.

Or not?

I agree with Niels in every point. I switched from Windows and Android to Ubuntu Desktop and Phone because I'm totally annoyed and constrained of these systems and their implemented "tools". I hope that Ubuntu Phone doesn't follow them in any way and shows total transparency of what's going on. To respect the users privacy would be a USP and should be marketed more than up to now to make the Ubuntu Phone become successful. Many current and future users would appreciate that!

I can say Ubuntu desktops are fantastic and this is coming from a guy who used Windows for nearly 15 years and have now switched over to Ubuntu and I'm almost certain their mobile device follow closely.