Redskins are one of the teams using IPads for playbooks

Smartphones can be hacked, too.

yes but I'd rather have my schedule hacked than my whole playbook... anyway, let's hope they really have the security angle covered

yes but I'd rather have my schedule hacked than my whole playbook... anyway, let's hope they really have the security angle covered

But the playbooks need to be internet-ready so that new plays can be down/uploaded. Part of the point of this setup is to allow wireless transmission of playbook components.

But the playbooks need to be internet-ready so that new plays can be down/uploaded. Part of the point of this setup is to allow wireless transmission of playbook components.

okay, at the beginning I really thought it was just a "let's get modern and cool" stuff, didn't see the "permanent improvement of the playbook" aspect of it.

From the article:

This summer, in a move that surely caused a few collective head shakes across the NFL, Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams tweeted a photo of his iPad that displayed several of the team’s defensive plays from the digital playbook.

Really, it had nothing to do with the iPad itself since Williams could have just as easily snapped a photo and tweeted the picture from a hard-copy playbook. But the incident was nonetheless the type of issue that creates hesitation for any old-school coach having a difficult time embracing this new-school world.

Is it totally rational? No. Is it slightly nearsighted? Yes. But this is new technology, so it is reasonable to wonder about all of those security-type questions. Most everyone who is currently using them, however, says there’s nothing to fear.

“What if a player gets traded?” Brown said. “What if an iPad gets left on a plane? What if someone hacks into the playbook? I understand the question But there’s plenty of security in place.”

In fact, as several people explained, the iPad might actually be more secure than a hard-copy playbook, particularly those issued by teams like the Broncos. Information can be wiped from an iPad from anywhere, which means a waived player could have his playbook erased before he ever even reaches the coach’s office to get the bad news.

“The big difference and benefit we have now is, there’s no security on a personal iPad,” Boxer said. “Now, we have a COBOLT Device Management system so we can secure what’s out there on the devices. It’s all highly secure. We can wipe an iPad from anywhere in the world, and it now has two passwords on it. It has a four-digit keycode and password required to access the actual app.”

As for the prospect of hacking? The encryption currently being used to secure the iPads on a remote level is equivalent to the military grade. So while the idea of SpyGate II might be something nobody will want to discount, it hasn’t created enough concern to steer most teams away from the technology at this point. Not considering the security currently being utilized.

I'm sure they have the security angle covered.

Yeah, and im sure Sony and Amazon had the security angle covered too.

Fact is, you put the playbook on the IPad, and disable the hardware rendering it uncapable of transferring data or connecting to the internet, and just upload the playbook onto the IPad, and just use the IPad for the playbook, nothing else. Just having it on an ipad makes it easier to browse through the different plays and protections.

Ultimately, though, they could write a program which would brick the tablet if someone tried to transfer the playbook data or connect to the internet with it.

So, my son's middle school issued iPads to all the students last year (actually 5th through 8th graders got them). They are in the first year of the program, and the teachers think they've got it all locked down tight. Mid March, the program administrator sends an email that all 8th grade iPads have been pulled back until new security can be installed. Turns out that some of the 8th graders were smarter than the teachers.
I laughed when the email came out.

That doesn't really relate to the Skins getting the iPad, but I thought it was pretty dang funny.

Yeah, and im sure Sony and Amazon had the security angle covered too.

Fact is, you put the playbook on the IPad, and disable the hardware rendering it uncapable of transferring data or connecting to the internet, and just upload the playbook onto the IPad, and just use the IPad for the playbook, nothing else. Just having it on an ipad makes it easier to browse through the different plays and protections.

Ultimately, though, they could write a program which would brick the tablet if someone tried to transfer the playbook data or connect to the internet with it.

Obviously no security is perfect.

Yeah, and im sure Sony and Amazon had the security angle covered too.

Fact is, you put the playbook on the IPad, and disable the hardware rendering it uncapable of transferring data or connecting to the internet, and just upload the playbook onto the IPad, and just use the IPad for the playbook, nothing else. Just having it on an ipad makes it easier to browse through the different plays and protections.

Ultimately, though, they could write a program which would brick the tablet if someone tried to transfer the playbook data or connect to the internet with it.

There's security software that will lock the the iPad down pretty tight, so i don't think there's really any issues of security. I think you'd probably have a better chance of a player leaving his playbook in a hotel room or somewhere else than you would someone hacking the iPad. It certainly can happen, but I think it's a pretty safe way to go.

Seriously?

A franchise worth $1.56 billion dollars. Worth more than some countries. And we're worried that they can't afford internet security? The playbook is the key to their game, their financial success. They will protect it with all the means possible.

And remember - there's no way to prevent a player who wants to give the playbook out. Even when a player leaves, they'll remember most of the plays. For example, Peyton Manning remembers every single Colts play, and can draw each out himself without any paper or electronic playbook. And paper playbooks can easily be copied / scanned / photographed.


From the article, the security seems relatively advanced to me.

From the article:

...In fact, as several people explained, the iPad might actually be more secure than a hard-copy playbook... Information can be wiped from an iPad from anywhere, which means a waived player could have his playbook erased before he ever even reaches the coach’s office to get the bad news

...“it now has two passwords on it. It has a four-digit keycode and password required to access the actual app.”

...As for the prospect of hacking? The encryption currently being used to secure the iPads on a remote level is equivalent to the military grade.

From the article:

This summer, in a move that surely caused a few collective head shakes across the NFL, Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams tweeted a photo of his iPad that displayed several of the team’s defensive plays from the digital playbook.

Really, it had nothing to do with the iPad itself since Williams could have just as easily snapped a photo and tweeted the picture from a hard-copy playbook. But the incident was nonetheless the type of issue that creates hesitation for any old-school coach having a difficult time embracing this new-school world.

Is it totally rational? No. Is it slightly nearsighted? Yes. But this is new technology, so it is reasonable to wonder about all of those security-type questions. Most everyone who is currently using them, however, says there’s nothing to fear.


Now we know why Gaffney was cut. He couldn't be trusted with his Twitter and an electronic playbook.