Section 87. About BlackBerry Security


87. About BlackBerry Security

SEE ALSO

5 Lock and Unlock Your Device

6 Password-Protect Your Device

67 About Bluetooth Security

88 Secure the SIM Card

89 Turn On the Firewall

90 Protect Your Content

91 Safely Store IDs and Passwords on Your Device

92 Register Your Device with StuffBak


Security on the BlackBerry 7100 series devices can be broken down into several types. Some security features largely work behind the scenes to encrypt data and network connections and generally ensure that no information is left exposed to anyone but you, the intended user . Other security is more visible but still operates more or less without much effort on your part. This latter type of security can be configured to some extent but still provides a basic level of protection without you having to do much. The final type of security is completely on your shoulders. This is perhaps the most important security of all in that it involves you being diligent about how you use your device and how you develop safe work practices to minimize security risks. It's worth examining each of these security types a bit closer; then we'll focus on what you can do to use your device in a more secure manner.

The folks at Research In Motion (RIM) have gone to great lengths to make the BlackBerry 7100 series device one of the most secure mobile devices on the market. They know that the core user base of BlackBerry products is and has always been corporate users who often access highly sensitive data. For this reason, particular attention has been paid to security. Although it's expected that this security applies to users who have access to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, you don't have to be a corporate user to benefit from the robust BlackBerry security architecture. As an example, one area where strict security standards are upheld is in the BlackBerry web browser, which supports secure connections through HTTPS, SSL/TLS, and WTLS. The goal behind these technologies is to provide authentication of data sent over a wireless web connection using cryptography . More specifically , these technologies prevent electronic eavesdropping, tampering, and forgery of data sent over a wireless connection by encrypting the data before it is sent.

KEY TERMS

Cryptography The field of knowledge associated with converting information from its normal, comprehensible format into an incomprehensible format, rendering it unreadable to anyone but the intended recipient.

Encryption The process of converting information from its normal, comprehensible format into an incomprehensible format, rendering it unreadable to anyone but the intended recipient.


Encryption doesn't apply just to web browsing. If you use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, encryption again enters the picture thanks to the S/MIME protocol, an email protocol that uses encryption to ensure that email messages can't be eavesdropped on while traveling between sender and recipient. With S/MIME, the sender and recipient each has a digital signature that uniquely and safely identifies them to each other. The digital signatures are used as part of the encryption and decryption process.

KEY TERM

Digital signature An electronic ID, logically akin to a handwritten signature, that is used to securely identify a person as well as encrypt and decrypt messages he sends and receives.


In addition to the built-in security features that operate behind the scenes on your device, some security features are a little more visible. As an example, content encryption allows you to encrypt all the data stored on your device so it can't be read or otherwise manipulated in a meaningful way. Although the encryption itself doesn't require any special effort on your part, enabling and disabling it is at your control. Taking a simple step back, the password-protection feature on your device is a security measure that operates seamlessly yet requires your assistance when it comes to enabling and disabling it. The SIM card on your device also offers a fair amount of security in that you can specify a password that allows only you to access the SIM card. If anyone else gets his hands on your phone, or even just the SIM card itself, he can't use it to make calls without the password. Again, this is an example of a security feature that is only as useful as you allow it to be.

The final type of security I alluded to earlier is more strategic than technological in nature. And because of this, it is the most important security of all. The worst mistake you can make as a BlackBerry useror a user of any mobile device for that matteris to rely on the built-in security of your device too much. It's not that I don't trust the built-in technological security features, it's just that I know people have a way of cleverly figuring out how to exploit human weakness. Therefore, the most important type of security is minimizing your human weaknesses when it comes to putting your device and its data at risk.

One of the best examples of what I'm talking about in regard to minimizing human mistakes has to do with upgrading to a new device. Numerous stories abound in which someone upgrades his device only to forget to clear the memory on his old device before getting rid of it. All the security in the world won't save you from handing your device over to someone with all its data intact. Granted, if it's password-protected and encrypted, you might not have much to worry about, but in many cases, people disable these features because they weren't planning on using the devices anymore. So, one example of using a bit of common sense to help protect yourself is to always clear the memory of your device if you ever plan on getting rid of it.

TIP

To clear the memory of your BlackBerry device of all application data, navigate to the Tools screen and select Settings ; then click Security . Click the trackwheel and scroll to select Wipe Handheld on the menu that appears. Click again, and then click Continue to wipe out all the application data on your device. Be forewarned that this is a dramatic step and should be done only if you are getting rid of your device or want a clean slate so you can set it up from scratch.


While we're on the subject of someone gaining access to your data, you can easily add insult to injury by not backing up your data regularly. If someone gets his hands on your device, even if it is fully protected, it won't do you much good if you haven't backed up the data. Sure, the thief might not be able to access your data, but if you don't have an extra copy of the data, you won't be able to access it, either. It's therefore safe to add regular data backups to your list of common-sense security measures.

Instead of continuing on like this, it might be more useful to provide you with a concise list of common-sense security tips that can dramatically improve your odds of never losing data, never letting your device fall into the wrong hands, and ideally never permanently losing your device. That's right, I have a tip for dramatically increasing your odds of finding your device should you ever lose it. It just so happens that each security tip has an associated task with it, so refer to each task to find out more about how to put the tip in action:

  • Enter your owner information so it appears prominently when your device is locked 4 Make Yourself the Owner .

  • Lock your device so you don't accidentally press keys and inadvertently call someone by accident 5 Lock and Unlock Your Device .

  • Password-protect your device so a password must be entered to gain access to the device after it is locked 6 Password-Protect Your Device .

  • Back up your device regularly so you never put yourself at risk of losing significant data 13 Back Up Your Device .

  • Clear all data from your device if you ever stop using or decide to get rid of the device 15 Clear Personal Data from Your Device .

  • Set your device to automatically turn on and off so password-protection is automatically enabled when you leave the device idle 16 Automatically Turn Your Device On and Off .

  • Understand security issues surrounding Bluetooth wireless connectivity and what you can do to protect yourself 67 About Bluetooth Security .

  • Secure the SIM card using a password so no one can steal your device or SIM card and make phone calls on your dime 88 Secure the SIM Card .

  • Turn on the firewall so you know exactly when a third-party application is attempting to access the wireless network 89 Turn On the Firewall .

  • Enable content encryption so the data on your device is unreadable to anyone but you 90 Protect Your Content .

  • Securely store IDs and passwords for websites and services on your device so you don't lose or forget them 91 Safely Store IDs and Passwords on Your Device .

  • Register your device with StuffBak, the global lost-and-found service that boasts a 90% recovery rate on lost items 92 Register Your Device with StuffBak .

There you have it, a common-sense list of simple but effective security measures you can take to dramatically decrease the likelihood of experiencing a BlackBerry security breach!



BlackBerry in a Snap
BlackBerry in a Snap
ISBN: 0672326701
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 149

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