
Bundeswehr will switch completely to Matrix messenger - rv-de
https://www.golem.de/news/messenger-bundeswehr-will-komplett-auf-matrix-chat-wechseln-2005-148407.html
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rv-de
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version):

The German Armed Forces want to rely completely on the free software matrix as
a communication system for chat messages in the future. This was announced by
the Bundeswehr IT service provider BWI. The announcement also states that "in
future the chat application will also be used for the transmission of
information of the protection class 'classified information - for official use
only' (VS-NfD)".

This is surprising in that the use of free software for classified information
and its approval by the BSI can sometimes be difficult, as the case of OpenGPG
from last year shows. The first tests for the use of Matrix in the German
Armed Forces have been running since December last year.

Due to the restrictions and protective measures in the wake of the corona
pandemic, the Bundeswehr had also expanded the operation of the system to
30,000 smartphones as early as April. This is intended to enable a "simple yet
secure means of communication".

Starting this autumn, the Bundeswehr also wants to make it possible for
private smartphones to be used for communication via matrix, but not for
classified information. To enable private use and communication via chat even
during the corona pandemic, the Bundeswehr is currently relying on the
proprietary messenger Stashcat, which is available for up to 50,000 potential
users. Disagreement in Germany

Stashcat is also used by other authorities. However, the announcement clearly
states: "In the course of further expansion, Matrix will replace Stashcat as
the German Armed Forces' unified instant messaging platform". Stashcat will
therefore only serve as an interim solution.

Unlike in centrally governed France, where the matrix system is to be used for
all authorities, there is currently still a great deal of disagreement among
German authorities about which messenger systems are to be used in the future.
Besides the mentioned Stashcat and Matrix, there are currently also tests with
the open XMPP standard or Wire. But at least the German Armed Forces seem to
have already definitely decided in favor of Matrix.

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Well_hello
Well, this sounds awesome. Matrix seems to be a no-brainer after all.

Let's hope that the others won't switch to Wire

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dogma1138
I’m assuming they’ll develop their own clients rather than using something
like Riot.

This isn’t that unheard of IRC and XMMP and other open protocols have been
used in the past by governments within their own private networks.

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mawalu
As far as I know the French government used a riot fork for their users but
the changes are getting upstreamed. I think its not unrealistic that the
Bundeswehr will go a similar way

~~~
dogma1138
This isn’t that surprising, the heavy lifting is already done for you adding
things that maybe required for government use such as specific encryption
scheme or central logging of messages can often be more easily added to the
source or via middleware than developing a whole new protocol on your own.

The NSA used XMMP too
[https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.vice.com/amp/en_us/articl...](https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/8qxdez/the-
nsa-uses-the-same-chat-protocol-as-hackers-and-activists)

I know of a few other non-US government agencies that did that too.

Some countries even run their own MVNO’s for government uses no need to
reinvent the wheel.

