Minggu, 10 Februari 2019

The Presidential Communications Equipment Nether Barack Obama

08.04 Obama , POTUS 0 Comments
(Updated: Jan 31, 2017)

Over the past times v years, a attain of articles on this weblog covered the secure in addition to non-secure phones used past times president Barack Obama, whether inward the White House, at his Summer residence or aboard Air Force One.

With Donald Trump taking over the States presidency inward a few days, it's a proficient 2nd to await dorsum in addition to furnish a comprehensive overview of the communications equipment during Obama's fourth dimension inward office.

Additional context for this was provided past times a background story from the New York Times from Apr finally year, every bit good every bit past times several other sources, which demonstrate an almost consummate overhaul of the communication systems of the Obama White House.





Preparations nether George W. Bush

For the communications systems used past times the president of the States it was to a greater extent than of import to go reliable, than to go up-to-date, in addition to thence the equipment oft served decades, almost until the 2nd that in that location are few officials left who know how to keep it.

Modernization started nether the presidency of George W. Bush, non straight to decease along upward amongst the rapid ascent of meshing communications, but because the existing scheme failed during the attacks on September 11, 2001. As the 9/11 Commission written report says:
"The President told us he was frustrated amongst the poor communications that morning. He could non accomplish telephone commutation officials, including Secretary Rumsfeld, for a menstruation of time. The line of piece of work to the White House shelter conference room in addition to the Vice President kept cutting off."



Conference room of the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC). September 11, 2001
In the drawer there's a pocket-sized version of the Integrated Services Telephone (IST)
(White House photograph - click to enlarge)


These failures led to an overhaul of communications systems in addition to the installment of novel equipment. Bush' deputy main of staff Joe Hagin ordered for illustration the upgrade of the Intel 486 computers, replacement of the ho-hum in addition to cumbersome Lotus Notes electronic mail system, in addition to White House staff members started using the starting fourth dimension BlackBerries.

From August 2006 to May 2007 the famous Situation Room inward the West Wing basement underwent the biggest renovation since this facility was created nether the Kennedy administration. It was transformed from i uncomplicated conference room amongst a pocket-sized business office infinite into a multi-room facility amongst high tech communications equipment, much similar nosotros got used to from fictional movies in addition to tv-series:



Video close the White House Situation Room. Dec 2009.
(White House video - click to play)


Simultaneously, a novel in addition to highly secure telephone scheme was established that should preclude failures similar on 9/11: the Executive Voice over Secure IP-network, which connects the president amongst all major determination makers, similar the secretaries of State, Defense in addition to Homeland Security in addition to the Director of National Intelligence.

For this network, mutual Top Secret/SCI. The phones themselves own got no encryption capability, in that location are separate network encryptors, likely from General Dynamics' TACLANE familiy.



Obama calls the French president Hollande using the Cisco IP telephone with
yellowish faceplate for secure communications. Key Largo, Florida, March 8, 2014
(White House photograph past times Pete Souza - click to enlarge)


Before this novel IP-network was installed, the president's secure telephone calls went through the Defense Red Switch Network (DRSN), which is the secure telephone network for the entire States military. In 2001, the DRSN was even thence circuit-switched, but its special multilevel precedence in addition to preemption (MLPP) functionality couldn't preclude the glitches during the September xi attacks.

The DRSN uses custom-made telephone devices, the latest model existence the Integrated Services Telephone 2 (IST-2), which tin dismiss go used for both secure in addition to non-secure telephone calls. Probably because of this combined functionality, president George W. Bush got an IST-2 inward the Oval Office in addition to thence this was also the telephone that Obama found on his desk when he took over the Presidency inward Jan 2009:



A unmarried IST-2 telephone on Obama's desk, March 29, 2009
(White House photograph past times Pete Souza)


Although it was useful to own got only i telephone for secure in addition to non-secure calls, the IST-2 was likely a flake likewise military-looking, in addition to also a special encompass plate had to go made to encompass the fifty lead line of piece of work buttons, to preclude visitors from seeing who Obama's primary telephone contacts were:


The IST-2 telephone amongst encompass plate. The wooden box amongst the presidential
seal in addition to the ruddy push is an emergency telephone proper name upward device
(click to enlarge)


In March or early on Apr 2011, the unmarried IST-2 on the president's desk was replaced past times 2 to a greater extent than mutual telephone sets:

- H5N1 dark Avaya/Lucent 8520T, which is for the internal White House telephone network that was installed inward 1996 in addition to tin dismiss go used for all non-secure telephone calls.

- H5N1 nighttime gray Cisco 7975G Unified IP Phone amongst expansion module 7916, which is for the highly secure Executive Voice over Secure IP-network, but instead of the yellowish faceplate, the telephone inward the Oval Office has the measure argent one, likely to arrive non stand upward out likewise much. Although this telephone came on the president's desk nether Obama, the scheme itself was already operational since 2007.



The Cisco 7975, Lucent 8520 in addition to iPad 2 on Obama's desk, July 31, 2011
(White House photograph past times Pete Souza)


In the Oval Office, this configuration would rest inward occupation until the Summer of 2015. The same telephone sets could go found inward the business office of the president's personal assistent, which is correct adjacent to the Oval Office, every bit good every bit inward the West Wing offices of other White House staff members who may take secure vocalization communications:



Obama inward the business office of his personal assistent, amongst a dark Avaya/Lucent 8520T
for non-secure in addition to the gray IST-2 for secure telephone calls, May 24, 2010.
Left of the television set there's a smaller Avaya/Lucent 8410D.
(White House photograph past times Pete Souze)



President Obama bids adieu to his personal secretarial assistant Katie Johnson. June 10, 2011.
(Cisco 7975 IP telephone for secure in addition to the Avaya/Lucent 8520T for non-secure calls)
(White House photograph past times Pete Souza - click to enlarge)



The business office of Ben Rhodes, deputy national safety adviser for strategic communications,
amongst a dark Avaya/Lucent 8520 in addition to the Cisco IP telephone amongst yellowish faceplate.
Also Federal Reserve annotation the white file cabinet amongst KABA MAS high safety lock.
(photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times - click to enlarge)


In March 2011, president Obama provide Obanma amongst portions of the President's Daily Brief (PDB), a summary of the most of import tidings assessments. This electronic way of delivery allows analysts to add together video in addition to good clips in addition to interactive graphics. For safety reasons, the wireless connections of the president's iPad are disabled.





New equipment nether Barack Obama

Immediately after becoming the 44th president of the States inward Jan 2009, a job arose amongst the BlackBerry that Barack Obama was almost addicted to before he was elected. The president using a BlackBerry was considered a large safety risk, every bit unusual tidings agencies could easily rails the president's movements in addition to intercept his communications.


Secured BlackBerry

Obama definitely wanted to decease along his BlackBerry, thence the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) in addition to the National Security Agency (NSA) came upward amongst a solution: inward cooperation amongst engineers from BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) they secured a laid of regular BlackBerries amongst the SecurVoice application.

Somewhere inward May or June 2009, this highly secured BlackBerry was delivered to president Obama every bit good every bit to a grouping of upward to 20 people amongst whom he liked to rest inward closed contact with. This because it's alone possible to own got secure communications if both ends are using the same encryption method or device.




President Obama using his secured BlackBerry 8900 inward the limousine while
traveling to the airdrome inward Jakarta, Indonesia. Nov 10, 2010.
(White House Photo past times Pete Souza - click to enlarge)



As of 2009, the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) started Does Obama actually lack cool phones?

Although this wasn't actually the illustration for the president's ain equipment, it did apply to other White House employees. The New York Times reported that West Wing aides were stuck "in a misfortunate in addition to stunning state of technological inferiority: desktop computers from the finally decade, black-and-white printers that could non practice double-sided copies, aging BlackBerries (no iPhones), weak wireless Internet" in addition to desktop phones from the mid-1990s.

Part of this job was that responsibleness for White House engineering scientific discipline has long been divided betwixt iv agencies, each amongst their ain main information officer:
- the National Security Council (NSC)
- the Executive Office of the President (EOP)
- the US Secret Service (USSS)
- the White House Communications Agency (WHCA)
That led to a serial of Band-Aid solutions over the years, every bit i agency or around other has attempted piecemeal upgrades to White House gear.



"Composite of several images of the President in addition to his national safety squad during meetings
inward the Situation Room discussing the mission against Osama bin Laden" - May 2011.
On the tabular array nosotros consider the Cisco amongst yellowish faceplate in addition to an STE secure phone.
(White House Photo past times Pete Souza - click to enlarge)



Even inward March 2016, when a total information technology modernization had already started (see below), Obama New phones aboard Air Force One



President Obama talks on the telephone aboard Air Force One. Apr 10, 2014.
The Airborne Executive Phone has the ruddy lite on, which agency it's a secure call.
(White House Photo past times Pete Souza - Click to consider the total version)


After the upgrade of the telephone system, direction officials even thence had to sent e-mails over an air-to-ground meshing connexion that was oft no amend than dial-up modems from the mid-1990s.

Current White House deputy main of staff for operations Anita Decker Breckenridge told The New York Times that this wasn't acceptable anymore in addition to that she has since worked amongst the Air Force to upgrade the president’s bird to broadband speeds: "This is the Oval Office inward the sky. Talk close a network that didn’t work."


On the road

The Airborne Executive Phone was also installed inward the presidential limousine: inward the adjacent painting nosotros tin dismiss recognize a nighttime gray version of the device betwixt the seats, underneath the presidential seal. President Obama seems to go using a Motorola RAZR flip-phone, for which there's a cradle correct adjacent to the side-window.

Previously, an before Motorola clamshell telephone was used within the limousine, which agency that in that location must also go a picocell inside, every bit the heavily armored vehicle volition human activeness every bit a Faraday cage that blocks wireless signals. In the picture, Obama also has 2 BlackBerries in addition to his iPad inward a cover:



President Obama talks on the telephone amongst Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan during the
motorcade ride to Palm Beach International Airport. July 20, 2012.
(White House Photo - Click to enlarge)


(The WHCA also provides secure in addition to non-secure telephones at every location the president visits patch traveling. These phones are slightly dissimilar in addition to volition go described inward a separate article afterwards on)


On vacation

"Presidents don't larn vacations, they only larn a alter of scenery" - thence when president Obama was on Summer opor-garai at the Blue Heron Farm inward Chilmark on the isle of Martha's Vineyard, the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) would install all the necessary equipment, particularly for secure communications.

In the next painting nosotros consider Obama during his opor-garai inward August 2011, amongst on the tabular array 2 mutual white Panasonic KX-TS108W business office phones, which the WHCA provides for non-secure calls. For highly secure calls, 2 Cisco 7975G Unified IP Phones amongst yellowish faceplate were installed:

> Read more: Obama on vacation


President Obama monitoring Hurricane Irene amongst his assistant John Brennan and
around other officials. Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, August 26, 2011
(White House photograph past times Pete Souza - click to enlarge)


The New York Times reported close a province of affairs during Obama's Summer opor-garai inward 2014: when White House aides accompanying the president struggled amongst their laptops every bit they tried to revise a presidential statement, they could non larn on-the-road tech back upward from the WHCA because the agency’s staff members were non authorized to log inward to computers issued past times the Executive Office of the President.


IT modernization

After this incident inward Martha's Vineyard, White House deputy main of staff for operations Anita Breckenridge was determined to finally ready the mess of the presidential communications systems.

By March 2015 she had hired 8800-series.

These phones own got full-color (video)screens, WiFi in addition to Bluetooth connectivity (although probable disabled for safety reasons), in addition to speed-dial buttons that tin dismiss go configured online - for the one-time desktop phones alone few staff members knew how to programme them. Many White House aides instantly behavior the most recent iPhones, but Obama even thence carries his ain specially modified BlackBerry.

The novel IP telephone scheme seems to own got been starting fourth dimension rolled out inward the White House staff offices inward the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) correct across the street, where the novel phones were starting fourth dimension seen inward this painting from Nov 2015:



White House staffers inward the social media business office of the White House
inward the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Nov 2015
(photo: Stephen Crowley/New York Times - click to enlarge)


Later, the novel phones also made their way to the business office of Obama's personal secretary, correct adjacent to the Oval Office, where they replaced the one-time Avaya/Lucent Lucent 8520T in addition to instantly sit down adjacent to the older Cisco IP telephone for the highly secure Executive Voice over Secure IP-network (here also amongst the measure argent instead of the yellowish faceplate):



Obama presents a birthday cake to his personal secretarial assistant Ferial Govashiri,
inward her business office only exterior the Oval Office. August 30, 2016
(White House photo/Pete Souza - click to enlarge)


Strangely enough, this novel Cisco IP telephone was non yet installed on the president's desk inward the Oval Office. There, a much simpler telephone from a dissimilar manufacturer had replaced the one-time large dark Lucent 8520 past times May 2015. The novel Avaya 9608 IP phone is a real mutual business office telephone amongst only an average monochrome display in addition to alone a few lead line of piece of work buttons:



President Obama talks on his telephone for secure calls amongst Secretary of State
John Kerry. In front end of it there's the novel Avaya 9608, July 13, 2015.
(White House photograph past times Pete Souza - Click to enlarge)


This Avaya IP telephone was also placed underneath the side-table inward the seating expanse of the Oval Office, every bit tin dismiss go seen inward the next picture. In the seating expanse there's e'er the same laid of telephones every bit on the president's desk, but when the president makes a telephone call, he ordinarily uses the ones on his desk. The phones inward the seating expanse tin dismiss in addition to thence go used past times his aides or advisers to head inward to the call.



President Obama in addition to FBI Director James Comey speak to members of
the media inward the Oval Office of the White House, June 13, 2016.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais - click to enlarge)


However, inward Nov 2016, the Avaya telephone underneath the side tabular array had been replaced past times the to a greater extent than futuristic looking Cisco IP telephone from the 8800-series, but on the president's desk in that location even thence seems to go the simpler Avaya device.



Jann Wenner visits president Obama inward the Oval Office, the day
after the 2016 presidential election, Nov 9, 2016.
(White House photo/Pete Souza - click to enlarge)

Updates:

H5N1 closed await at the high-resolution version of a photo from Dec 24, 2016, shows that also on the president's desk, the Avaya telephone has been replaced past times what tin dismiss go recognized every bit the novel Cisco from the 8800-series, amongst around form of module on the back.

Meanwhile, readers of this weblog own got recognized that the box on the dorsum is because this Cisco 8841 IP Phone has been modified inward gild to consider Telephone Security Group (TSG) standards, including on-hook safety for the headset in addition to speakerphone, inward this illustration past times Advanced Programs, Inc. (API). The modified phones tin dismiss also go recognized past times the brilliant ruddy secure concord button:


On the real finally twenty-four threescore minutes menstruation of the Obama administration, only hours before Donald Trump was inaugurated, all the offices of the White House West Wing were empty, leaving only the novel communications equipment:



Empty desks inward the White House press offices, amongst a novel Cisco IP phone, a novel computer
covert in addition to keyboard amongst integrated smartcard reader. Jan 20, 2017.
(photo: David Nakamura/The Washington Post - click to enlarge)


New computers

Besides the novel telephone system, managing director of White House Information Technology David Recordon also installed a novel estimator network. The New York Times reported that starting fourth dimension he tried to map the miles of Ethernet cables in addition to telephone wires within the walls of the White House. His squad of technicians eventually discovered in addition to removed 13,000 pounds of abandoned cables that no longer served whatsoever purpose.

"They had been installed over the decades past times dissimilar organizations using dissimilar standards, dissimilar techniques, from dissimilar eras" Recordon said. "They were finding these pipes that only had bundles of cable that had been cutting off over the years, no longer used. So nosotros only started pulling it out."

With the wiring fixed, Recordon started replacing the one-time computers past times novel ones amongst fast, solid-state drives in addition to fast processors, every bit good every bit installing color printers. The WiFi is instantly made potent plenty to live-stream for illustration an consequence on Facebook from the Roosevelt Room. And finally, the White House has started requiring users to log on to their computers amongst two-factor authentication using a smartcard in addition to a pincode.



An Avocent KVM-switch in addition to a smartcard-reader amongst a smart ID card
inserted, every bit seen inward Ben Rhodes' White House office
(photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times)



Links in addition to sources
- The New York Times: Obama Boosted White House Technology; Trump Sees Risk (Dec. 2016)
- The White House: Technology Upgrades Get White House Out of the 20th Century (Apr. 2016)
- Comparison of Cisco IP phones: Impressions of the 8861 (Aug. 2015)
- Many to a greater extent than pictures at Cryptome: Obama Phones (Jan. 2012)
- NBC News documentary: Inside the Obama White House (2009)
- See also: The White House Museum
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