Category: Mobile Security

The approval has given the smartphone manufacturer’s efforts to recover its glory a boost in the right direction.

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) will allow customers to use Blackberry’s mobile security software to manage devices on the agency’s network that are powered by iOS and Android.

BlackBerry is positioning itself as the mobile market leader in security technology for big businesses and governments.

Recently, Blackberry Limited acquired Secusmart GmbH, a German mobile security company, to enhance its security offerings for enterprise patrons. This led to BlackBerry CEO John Chen telling employees that it is now time to focus on boosting sales from the new device and software launch, which was a positive and welcome change from company layoffs.

The company, which is based out of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, announced that customers of the U.S. DoD that are BlackBerry users and/or who use smartphones or tablets that run iOS or Android and are linked to the BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) 10 technology, are now authorized to send each other sensitive information.

BlackBerry stated that “The (Security Technical Implementation Guide) approval provides additional confidence for government agencies considering a more open mobile environment with a selection of devices and operating systems.”

Blackberry has high hopes that its next generation mobile security software, BES12, will give it a leg up over the competition.

Businesses and governments utilize supposed mobile device management software to manage smartphone security and software that enterprise customers oversee or issue for their staff. BlackBerry has several competitors in his field, such as Citrix Systems Inc. Airwatch (owned by VMware Inc.), International Business Machines Corp., and MobileIron Inc.

BES12 will be launched by BlackBerry near the end of 2014 and the company is betting on this mobile management software to give them the edge they need over their competition. So far, according to Chen, the feedback the company has received from testers of the technology has been positive. Chen stated that six customers in North America and Europe were testing the tech and that an additional six would begin testing in July.

According to a spokeswoman from the company, the DoD’s approval for BES10 does not include BES12. Each version of the mobile security technology is approved separately.

Rushing headlong into the digital age has consequences. The world is becoming more integrated and reliant on technology of all kinds. One of the clearest trends that is proving this is people’s growing dependence on mobile technology. Many people use their mobile devices on a daily basis and these devices often contain most of their precious personal information. Mobile technology is exciting for most people, and this excitement is blinding them to threats that exist in a world that is becoming digitized.

The digital era has brought people together in a way that was never before thought possible. Accessing the Internet, a person in the United States can form a intimate connection with another person living in Japan. Businesses are interacting with consumers in new ways because of social media and constant connection. While technology has helped bring people together, the digital world, much like the physical one, is not a safe place.

In the digital world, malicious groups are often on the lookout for ways to exploit people’s information. Identity theft is, perhaps, one of the most prolific crimes in the digital space and it is proving to be a difficult problem to protect oneself from. The digital world is filled with malware and viruses that are designed for malicious purpose and these weapons are evolving faster than the protective methods designed to mitigate their impact can adapt.

Large businesses that are beginning to focus more heavily on the digital space are beginning to fall victim to cyber attacks that are leading to billions of dollars in losses. Data breach is becoming more common and a growing number of people are beginning to see that their personal information is being compromised due to lackluster security. In the digital world, you cannot rely on a company to keep your information safe and have to take matters into your own hands.

In a world that is becoming more digital, absolute security is an impossible dream. Taking steps to protect yourself is not futile, however. More often than not, the lack of protection can make you a target for malicious groups that want to exploit whatever resources you might have. Even simply installing an anti-virus application on your mobile device can serve as an effective deterrent from an attack.