How BlackBerry Smartphone Data Is Protected When Paired With A BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet

A question I’m sure many of you have (especially in the enterprise) is how exactly does a BlackBerry smartphone’s data stay protected when paired with a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet? We know BlackBerry Bridge is the app behind smartphone pairing with a PlayBook and now, thanks to a knowledge base article from the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center, we know a bit about how secure the connection is. Here’s the overview:

Bluetooth® profiles specify how applications on the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, BlackBerry® smartphones and other Bluetooth enabled devices connect and interoperate. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and a BlackBerry smartphone use the Serial Port Profile (SPP), which emulates a serial port between two Bluetooth-enabled devices, to communicate over Bluetooth®. The SPP is a client-server transport protocol, where the server controls whether and how to respond to client requests. The BlackBerry® Bridge™ application on the smartphone acts as a server for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to connect to.

Check out the rest of the KB article below for full details!

• How you can limit access to the SPP on the smartphone
  • A BlackBerry® Enterprise Server administrator can control which applications on the smartphone can use the Serial Port Profile, effectively limiting its use to trusted applications, such as BlackBerry Bridge. The Is Access to the Serial Port Profile for Bluetooth API Allowed application control policy rule controls whether an application on the smartphone can use the SPP.
  • On the BlackBerry smartphone, every Bluetooth profile has an associated IT policy rule or application control policy rule that allows the administrator to control the use of the profile.
• How the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet protects data in transit
  • The tablet and the smartphone use an encryption key (the BlackBerry Bridge pairing key) and AES to encrypt data that is sent between the tablet and the smartphone.
• How the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet protects stored data
  • When a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet connects to a BlackBerry smartphone that was activated on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, the tablet and smartphone share an encryption key (the BlackBerry Bridge work key) to encrypt and decrypt data that is stored on the tablet.
• Additional Information:
  • For more information on Bluetooth technology and BlackBerry devices see the BlackBerry Devices with Bluetooth Technology Security Technical Overview.
  • For more information on IT policy rules and application control policy rules see the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Policy Reference Guide.
  • For more information on BlackBerry PlayBook tablet security see the BlackBerry PlayBook Security Technical Overview

source

via:bbrocks

RIM launches first BES IT Policies for PlayBook

The NHCBBA team has been trying to do a great job with unveiling PlayBook features and getting started tips and tricks but the big question for the targeted business customers, specifically the militant IT departments, is what controls will be in place for the BES Admin?

The first IT policies have now been released by RIM for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server versions 4.0 & 5.0 and apply to Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes & Novell GroupWise.  Currently there are no release notes regarding the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express (BESX).  I’m sure that in time it will come, but the BESx is designed to be a scaled back version of the BES specifically in the area of IT policies.

This is very good news and not a moment too soon.  In my travels speaking with corporate customers over the last couple of weeks they seem to be holding a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude to the PlayBook because RIM has not been very forthcoming with their IT control plans.  Remember the PlayBook at launch will not have its own PIN therefore you can’t put it on the BES out of the box.

Enable BlackBerry Bridge

This policy can be found under the BlackBerry Bridge category when configuring an IT Policy after the file below has been applied to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Description: Specify whether a BlackBerry device can run BlackBerry Bridge. If you set this rule to Yes, a user can run BlackBerry Bridge and use it to connect a companion device (for example, the BlackBerry PlayBook) to the BlackBerry device. If you set this rule to No, a user cannot run BlackBerry Bridge and cannot use it to connect a companion device to the BlackBerry device. If you do not set this rule, a default value of Yes will be used.

BlackBerry PlayBook Log Submission

This policy can be found under the Companion Devices category when configuring an IT Policy after the file below has been applied to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Description: Specify whether a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet can generate and send log files to the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center. The default value for this rule is Enable Logging. If you set this rule to Enable Logging, the tablet can generate and send log files to the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center. If you set this rule to Disable Logging, the tablet cannot generate and send log files to the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center.

Until there is a maintenance release or a service pack to the BES these IT policies will have to be applied to the BES manually.

Update the IT policy rule definition using BlackBerry Administration Service:

This procedure is appropriate for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.  Complete the following steps:

1. Download the ITPolicyPackPlayBook.zip file attachment and unzip it to a temporary folder on the local computer hosting the BlackBerry Manager.
2. Open BlackBerry Administration Service.
3. From the BlackBerry Solution Management panel, expand Policy.
4. Click Manage IT Policy Rules.
5. Click Import IT Policy Definitions.
6. Browse to the temporary folder where the ITPolicyPackPlayBook.zip file was unzipped.
7. Select the ITPolicyPackPlayBook.xml file.
8. Click Save.
9. When the import process is complete, the following message appears:
   The IT policy definitions have been updated.

The PlayBook launch on April 19th is going to be a very exciting day in the BlackBerry world and now that RIM is officially releasing BES specific information I’m hoping it spreads the anticipation throughout the NHC Blackberry Alliance Nation!

Full RIM KB article and download for manual IT policy

Source: BESAdmin

Blackberry SMS 101: Setting SMS options in Blackberry OS 6

In my slow but purposeful exploration of options in OS 6, I’ve come to something I didn’t really notice in older OS builds. While there were SMS options previously, it appears that there are plenty more this time around. There appear to be a few experimental ones, too, that can make life a little more convenient. Let’s take a look at how you can customize your SMS experience.

We’ll start from the top, where you can set what you’d like to do with text-only messages. That is, if you’re replying to an MMS, or accidentally hit “Send MMS,” you can have it actually send as an SMS if you select the Always SMS option. I’m not sure if that makes a big difference, but for those who get charged per-KB for MMS it might.

The next option is a visual one. You can choose to have your SMS display in bubble format — that is, in the same way as the iPhone, wherein your messages are on one side of the screen and the other party’s are on the other. Or you can have it in stripe format, wherein everything starts on the left side of the screen, but yours and the other party’s messages are striped with different colors.

Then there are a slew of yes/no options. I always uncheck the Press Enter Key to Send option, because I always slip and hit the button. You can also set the delivery report here, which is nice, but now that I’ve used BBM for almost four years I find it almost useless. Sure, it lets me know when it’s delivered. If I don’t see the D next to the check mark, I know the recipient is out of cell range. But without an R for read option, I’m just not impressed.

At the bottom there are a few seemingly experimental options. You can reject anonymous messages, or you can reject advertisements. I’m not sure how those filters work. I haven’t checked them, because I haven’t received spam SMS on my BlackBerry. I have, however, received plenty on my T-Mobile phone, so I can see the desire for such an option. If you get random spam SMS, give this option a whirl.

 

via:bbg

Review: GPS Ski Maps for BlackBerry

About GPS Ski Maps
SNOW! You love to play in it and you hate to shovel it. In the lower mainland of BC, we don’t (typically) get as much snow as I did when I lived in Northeastern Ontario, but there are some pretty amazing locations in BC where you can enjoy many winter activities – both outdoor and indoor (by the fire…wink wink, nudge nudge). BC is known for its many, beautiful ski resorts. Ok, before you think that I’m actually working in Travel and Tourism, let me get to the point. When looking for a place to travel to, you would probably want to check out maps and any kid of information you can see about the tracks or even the resort itself.

With this in mind, an application that you should check out is GPS Ski Maps, formerly BerrySki. GPS Ski Maps provides in-depth information on hundreds of resorts from across Canada, the USA and Europe. You can also record and view your runs for future analysis; whether you want a trip, season or lifelong summary of your skiing or snowboarding history. Let’s take a look at what GPS Ski Maps has to offer.

Press Release: Official AT&T BlackBerry Torch 9800 Availability and Pricing Announced; First Device with BlackBerry 6!

It’s a HAPPY DAY for BlackBerry users, especially those on AT&T. Today AT&T and Research In Motion have officially announced the BlackBerry Torch 9800, the first BlackBerry to feature a sliding form factor. The Torch 9800 offers users the best of both worlds with a full physical keyboard and touchscreen. The highly-anticipated BlackBerry 6 operating system also makes its debut on the BlackBerry Torch 9800, ushering in the next-generation of messaging and multimedia on BlackBerry. Read on for the full details!

Press Release