“The federal department charged with overseeing cyber-security has warned its workers to think twice before sending a BlackBerry message, suggesting that the device believed to be the most secure in the world is more vulnerable than users may believe,” Jordan Press reports for Canada.com.
“The one-page policy memo from Public Safety Canada, updated in mid-January, attempts to dissuade government BlackBerry users from sending a PIN-to-PIN message largely because it could be read by any BlackBerry user, anywhere in the world,” Press reports. “The messages are “the most vulnerable method of communicating on a BlackBerry,” a Public Safety Canada presentation says.”
Press reports, “According to figures obtained by Postmedia News, in a one-year span, the number of government-issued BlackBerrys increased by 14.5 per cent, to almost 90,000 in August 2012 from 78,000 in September 2011. The cost to government to use those devices domestically is more than $2 million per month.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Ouch!
Yay… My tax dollars at work!
I want my Newton!
“…that the device believed to be the most secure in the world…”
What?!
Well, it kind of used to be. Definitely a silly phrase, but BB was known for enterprise grade email realiability and corporate pleasing security. But look the competition was at that time. Windows Mobile, and, I dunno, Palm?
I thought BB is Canada’s crown jewel. For Canadian Government release such warning about BB’s security issue, BB is doomed. … very sad indeed…
Crown Royal is the crown jewel.
Canadians barely tolerated BB’s in 2003. Now they can’t get rid of them fast enough.