This is a pretty wild piece of news. Google, George Mason University, and the NSA are working to make Android the most secure OS out there. They're developing a "hardened" kernel so Android can pass all the necessary red tape to be deployed for government use. By 2012 they expect Android to be good enough for classified communication, and eventually they'll hit a higher security clearance level than BlackBerrys. Poor BlackBerry, security was one of the last things they had left.

It seems like all the heavy hitters are on board to deploy this super-secure version of Android. The Obama Administration, the FBI, the Justice Department, the Army, and first responders are all mentioned as interested parties. The Army wants to take Android into combat, the White House wants to dump blackberry, and first responders want to replace their insecure radio equipment. That's right, real life Android Police.

No word on when (or if) all this security will trickle down to us civilians; hopefully Google made that part of the deal. More security is always a good thing, right?

Source: Government Computer News (thanks Steve!)