But is this really a big concern? I have to agree with Ronen at BerryReview, that someone stealing personal data with an application seems like a bigger concern. All you have to do is build an application that accesses user data, and sends it back to the company’s servers. If they wanted to, a company could use the data on your BlackBerry for malicious purposes.
It seems like only a matter of time until someone in Nigeria figures out how to submit a malicious app into Mobihand. While App World might have a vetting process that looks at what the app is accessing, I can guarantee you the Mobihand network isn’t diligent enough to catch something like this.
We can only hope that if a malicious app shows itself, the good people at BlackBerry Cool, BerryReview, CrackBerry, etc. will find out and spread the word not to download it.
The last time we wrote about Cellcrypt, they were showcasing their secure mobile voice encryption software for BlackBerry at WES 2009. The company and BlackBerry app have come a long way and we got to talking with them last week at BBDC.
Since WES, the company has received FIPS 140-2 certification, a standard approved by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. At BBDC, the company announced that their product is available for the BlackBerry Bold 9700, as well as Curve and Pearl series devices.
The makers of PocketMac have launched a new app for BlackBerry called BlackBerry ER. Their latest app is aimed at users who have lost their BlackBerry and are looking to get it back.
The app helps you identify the thief who stole your BlackBerry and gives you their location. Besides offering GPS coordinates of the thief’s location, BlackBerry ER will also also text users with the details of the thief’s identity, including phone number, IMSI number and more.
Today is a great Deal of the Day as we have SmrtGuard for BlackBerry with a yearly service for only $22.49. This deal only applies to today so be sure to take advantage of it soon.
With SmrtGuard, you are able to:
Remote OTA Backup (manual or scheduled) PIMs, Call logs, Emails
Remote OTA Restore PIMs, Call logs, Emails
Remote Data Wipe (including microSD)
Remote Tracking (lowjack) and Locating – see it on our companion website that comes with the account
Remote Listen – Listen to your thief or be a spy
Remote Lock
Remote Audio Ping (to help you find the device)
Personal Guardian (send out distress call with push of a button)
SIMCard Guardian – alert send out when unauthorized SIM is used (GSM based phone only)
Loved-one Tracking – Great for couples and families with smartphones to track each other
RIM has just introduced a new version of the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader, which will help keep your organization’s BlackBerry devices and desktops secure. The new BlackBerry Smart Card Reader is a lightweight, wearable, ISO 7816 compliant card reader that enables proximity controlled access to a user’s BlackBerry and computer.
The Card Reader uses Bluetooth 2.0 with advanced AES-AES-256 encryption to enable secure pairing and communications between the reader, BlackBerry, computer and PKI applications.
The new BlackBerry Smart Card Reader features:
Enhanced Design – a sleeker design measuring only 3.98” x 2.4” x 0.57” and weighing only 2.26 oz. makes the peripheral more comfortable to wear. It also features a larger display and backlighting for easier viewing, as well as power management features that can extend battery life between charges (900mAh integrated lithium ion battery).
Increased Security – when used with the BlackBerry® Enterprise Solution, the new BlackBerry Smart Card Reader offers additional security options that can be set by the IT administrator.
Additional Content Protection – IT administrators can configure settings to allow handset passwords to work only if the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader is within range. These settings add another layer of protection on top of the handset password and will also be enforcable for a secondary password* required to unlock encrypted data on the handset.
More Complex Bluetooth Passwords – the previous BlackBerry Smart Card Reader model supported a randomly generated 8-digit numeric Bluetooth pairing PIN and this new model can now support more complex Bluetooth pairing PINs with both characters (symbols, letters, capital letters) and numbers.
Support for a Wide Range of Smart Cards – the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader supports all ISO 7816 compliant smart cards and provides out of the box support for Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards, Common Access Cards (CAC) and Safenet 330 cards.
The spyware intercepts emails and drains battery life remarkably fast. According to Chris Eng at Veracode, “the server receiving the initial registration packets (i.e. “Here I am, software is installed!”) got overloaded. Devices kept trying to connect every five seconds to empty the outbound message queue, thereby causing a battery drain. Some people were reporting on official BlackBerry forums that their batteries were being depleted from full charge in as little as half an hour.”
We are living in an age where our smartphones are becoming our personal computers, and therefore the focus of those who want to exploit our personal data in any way they can. Dan Hoffman, CTO of SMobile Systems said it best, “The truth about smartphones is that they are used in the same manner as personal computers and are susceptible to the same threats. It has become clear that smartphone users need to proactively ensure their devices contain the necessary security software to protect not only their e-mail and messaging data, but also to protect their identity and the integrity of their mobile financial transactions.”
[ED NOTE: Sorry guys, a contributor posted this and I didn't realize how old it was until now. This patch was issued at the beginning of June.]
RIM has issued a security patch to address a security vulnerability that could leave many smartphones open to a virus attack. RIM didn’t issue a public statement about the vulnerability, but their site reminds users that “as a mobile device best practice, Research In Motion recommends that BlackBerry smartphone users open attachments from trusted sources only,”
Carl Leonard of U.K.-based Websense Security Lab said hackers may be looking to steal corporate sales information, intellectual property or customer data, all of which has value in the underground economy.
Nobody has come out saying they’ve been affected by this vulnerability, and RIM’s security patch will stop any future attempts at hacking into the device.
New Canadian legislation is forcing Internet service providers to make it possible for police and intelligence officers to intercept online communications and get personal information about subscribers, in a “timely” manner without a warrant. This personal information includes names, address and internet addresses.
The bill will allow law enforcement officials to obtain transmission data that is sent or received via telephone and require telecommunications companies to keep data related to specific communications or subscribers if that information is needed in an investigation and requested via a preservation order.
While it is important for police and government officials to prevent the spread of illegal materials such as child pornography and arrest those involved in serious illegal activities, one must wonder how technically viable this bill actually is.
Regardless of whether the carrier allows the interception of voice and data coming from your BlackBerry, your device can be very easily encrypted, making it impossible to listen in. One such product that will do this, is G&D’s mobile security card. With this security card you can save data and have it encrypted in case of theft. The card also provides you with secure email, device protection and even voice encryption. With companies such as G&D, this legislation is quickly rendered obsolete.
Lopez Research (Maribel Lopez, formerly of Forrester Research) published a May 2009 report entitled Successful Mobile Deployments Require Robust Security. The report takes a look at the three levels of protection provided by a comprehensive mobile security solution in preventing unauthorized access to:
1) the device and its data,
2) data as it transits the network and
3) the corporate network.
The results of the study concluded what we already know to be true: RIM was highly rated using these criteria. The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution received a 4/4 in all categories, including overall mobile security. Lopez Research concludes that “RIM offers the most robust security solution.” Click through for a quick synopsis of the ratings chart for RIM
Celebrities are always losing their devices. From Paris Hilton losing her BlackBerry, to Kevin Bacon getting his stolen. These celebs have information that is valuable to gossip rags and incredibly private.
Absolute Software, can prevent situations like Paris Hilton’s from escalating into data and identity theft with its product Computrace Mobile. Computrace Mobile can not only help retrieve BlackBerry devices, it can also remote data delete the device ensuring your data doesn’t get into the wrong hands.
Features of Computrace include:
Track and recover lost or stolen devices.
Detect unauthorized software such as file sharing applications.
Monitor changes to hardware and location (IP address, GPS).
Remotely delete data and see which files have been accessed.
