Explainer: Why can’t the American president use smart gadgets?

US Presidents and Gadgets: The American president is counted among the most powerful people in the world. In such a situation, you’d think Joe Biden would be able to use any gadget of his choice. But, this is not true. He’s undoubtedly one of the most powerful people in the world, but when it comes to consumer technology, he’s a disappointment. He cannot use every gadget of his choice. In fact, American security agencies believe that the electronic devices surrounding their president are the biggest targets of hackers around the world. Therefore, they are allowed to use only very limited gadgets.

According to Harvard Kennedy School lecturer Bruce Schneer, it cannot be assumed that Russia is not targeting the gadgets of world leaders. According to him, this was not such a big problem in the 2000s. Then only individual devices can be hacked. Computers and non-smart mobile phones were included. Also, the President of America does not need a mobile phone. Whenever he wants, he can talk to anyone in the world on a secure line. However, everything changed after Barack Obama became President in 2009.

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Why did Obama fight with security advisers for weeks?
According to an official, Barack Obama fought with security advisers for several weeks to keep the BlackBerry after becoming US president. Ultimately, security advisers allowed President Obama to keep the BlackBerry. But, this was subject to a condition that he would only use it to keep in touch with senior staff and a small group of personal friends. Since then, the technological devices used by the US President have been steadily increasing. This has given the US President’s security advisers sleepless nights.

A more secure iPad was created at Obama’s insistence
When the iPad hit the market in 2010, President Barack Obama wanted one for himself. On top of that, America’s national security advisors created a more secure iPad ‘ObamaPad’ for him. A former adviser told the BBC that Obamapads were also given to the president’s staff. Ari Schwartz, who served as the National Security Council’s cybersecurity official during the Obama administration, told the BBC that it was common for senior staff to modify iPads during Barack Obama’s presidency. However, the technical setup of the White House remained somewhat old-fashioned.

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The White House had to install Wi-Fi for the first time
According to Schwartz, there is no Wi-Fi in the White House. Then President Barack Obama discussed installing Wi-Fi in the White House. Meanwhile security advisers told him why can’t we install Wi-Fi in the White House? Obama was told that installing Wi-Fi would invite security breaches. Eventually officials had to bow to Barack Obama’s insistence and install Wi-Fi in his residence. However, according to the Obama family, it was for the best. This gave him a lot of convenience.

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Donald Trump used Twitter extensively
Former US President Donald Trump was the most famous person on Twitter during his tenure. He also insisted on using a personal device. He is said to have used a series of burner phones for a while. It was later removed for security reasons. However, he was always skeptical about the use of computers and email. So, he chose paper for communication.

Former US President Donald Trump also insisted on using personal devices.

Everything has become vulnerable to hacking.
If the iPad gave America’s technical consultants a few sleepless nights, today everything is becoming a computer. This has disturbed his sleep. According to Schneier, your peloton bike, phone, refrigerator, thermostat, toys, car are all vulnerable to hacking. This sensitivity to hacking has become a big problem for President Joe Biden, as he loves his gadgets. He likes to wear Apple Watch. At the same time, he also uses a Peloton exercise bike with an internet-connected computer screen, camera and microphone.

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Can gadgets be made more secure?
Schneier says hardware can be made safer by modification. For this, the National Security Agency has to break the cameras installed in the gadgets. Internet connection has to be terminated. However, doing so may also defeat the purpose of high-end technology in the first place. According to Stanford University’s Herbert Lin, it’s rare that you’ll find a device that can’t be hacked. Most devices that can’t be hacked are pretty useless. Such devices can cause communication problems.

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If your gadget is ‘smart’ it is not safe
The safest thing for the President of America is not to use any gadget. But the last two presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, have proven that persuading the commander in chief is nearly impossible. According to Biden biographer Evan Osnos, the president uses the Apple News app. This can cause a big problem anytime. Schwartz says that securing any software can be the most difficult task. In fact, now everything is updated remotely. That said, if your gadget is smart, it’s definitely not safe.

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Tags: Obama, Donald Trump, G-20 Summit, G20 Summit, Portable gadgets, US President, US President Joe Biden