By
Susan C on Jun 06, 2009 in
BlackBerry,
General,
RIM.
“Successful Mobile Deployments Require Robust Security“, by Maribel Lopez, who was formerly with Forrester Research, states that the BlackBerry smartphones are the most secure against unauthorized access when they were compared against other device manufacturers. The report rates mobile devices in four different categories and the RIM BlackBerry devices stood out in all of them.
The report rated them on: Device; Network; Transmission; and Overall Mobile Security Rating. I’ll break it down for you what each manufacturer was rated and the comments it received.
Let’s start with Apple’s iPhone. In Device it was found the OS can be compromised, lacks device encryption, and does not have OTA updates. In that rating it scored 0%. In Network it received 75% as it uses the same active directory based authentication methods as Windows Mobile. In Transmission it received 50% for it having full VPN support but doesn’t have the added extra protection of a gateway or NOC server solution. The Overall Mobile Security Rating was 25% because even though v2.0 added several security features the platform still doesn’t have several basic yet critical features.
Now it’s Microsoft Windows Mobile’s turn. In Device it received 50% and comments were that it has a two-tier access for code execution control, removable storage but not on the device encryption, it supports OTA updates, and it requires third party Anti-Virus and Firewall support. In Network it received 75% and the comment was it uses certificate and active directory domain services for authentication. Transmission received three fourths as well with the commentary that it has full VPN support but provides MDM gateway in the DMZ. The Overall Security Rating was 75% with the comment that the Windows MDM security update covers a majority of firms basic security requirements.
And last we have the BlackBerry. For Device it received a 100%, comments were that it allows complete control on what can be executed on the device, on device and removable media encryption, and supports OTA updates. In Network it reached 100% with the comments that it encrypts the message and uses an cryptographic shared key system for authentication. In Transmission it received 100% with the comments that it routes traffic through the NOC and the BES to ensure Security and does not require a VPN. The Overall Mobile Security Rating was 100% as the comment states RIM provides solid security across the three areas of vulnerability.
We all knew it all along, even with a PDF security breach, BlackBerry is still on top. Another reason to love your BlackBerry. What do you think of the report? Share your comments, we want to know!
[via: BlackberryBlast]
