BlackBerry Clears Hurdle For Voice Crypto Acquisition

angry tapir writes BlackBerry is now free to integrate German security vendor Secusmart's voice encryption technology in its smartphones and software, after the German government approved its acquisition of the company. BlackBerry CEO John Chen still wants his company to be the first choice of CIOs that want nothing but the best security as he works to turn around the company's fortunes.

Comments

Unless end to end, it's a farce

[sideslash]

Since multiple governments mandate that Blackberry share back doors with them, it's not clear to me what benefit more encryption will really add. Won't they be sharing keys with governments (and thus potentially hackers can get the same data)?

The only secure encryption is end to end encryption where you understand and actively control/limit how the key transmission works.

Re:Unless end to end, it's a farce

[Anonymous Coward]

If the users don't generate and completely control their keys even end-to-end is a farce.

Re:Unless end to end, it's a farce

[joemerritt9090]

Yes, the article that says "Authorities won't have access to email records of BES users". BES is the enterprise email offering, that allows a company to run the delivery system locally, with its own encryption keys. The system Indian wanted access to in that article is BIS, which delivered email for the average consumer (non-enterprise) on the old (pre BB10 / Z10) phones. The new phones no longer use that system (they download email directly now) as bandwidth and battery power savings were the strengths of that old design, and those weren't winning market share.

Re:Unless end to end, it's a farce

[acoustix]

Since multiple governments mandate that Blackberry share back doors with them, it's not clear to me what benefit more encryption will really add. Won't they be sharing keys with governments (and thus potentially hackers can get the same data)?

The only secure encryption is end to end encryption where you understand and actively control/limit how the key transmission works.

This is a blatant lie. BES controls encryption from end-to-end. BB/RIM does not have the ability to see any traffic other than the encrypted traffic.

Any encryption is better than none

[mi]

Since multiple governments mandate that Blackberry share back doors with them, it's not clear to me what benefit more encryption will really add.

Having fewer people able to eavesdrop on you is enough to prefer one technology over the other. For example, even if governments A and B can still listen on your conversation with a particular party, being protected from all other governments — as well as NGOs — can be quite helpful and thus desirable.

Re:No trust

[Anonymous Coward]

You're being silly, and I suspect it's on purpose.

BlackBerry, like any other publicly traded (and most private ones..) company in the world, can't just opt out of government or legal obligations. If a judge signs an order requirining access to information, there is not much you can do. Sure, you can appeal or protest it, but at the end of the day you have to comply. If you have a problem with this, you should really take it up with your elected leaders who enable the very same laws that are the root of the problem you clearly have an issue with.

sinking ship

[bloodhawk]

sounds like they are trying to install new chandeliers in the titanic. Seriously they don't need new features they need to either get out of the smartphone business or completely reinvent it, currently they are close to irrelevant as companies abandon them on mass and consumers already left them.