Learn how Android can be secure with BlackBerry

We have yet to get our hands on the new BlackBerry Priv. The company has just opened pre-registration last week but we have no idea when exactly the first ever BlackBerry smartphone will be ready in the market. John Chen showing off the device last month in an interview didn’t really leave us impressed simply because it seems the CEO wasn’t totally familiar with the phone. We expected an excited and ready Chen but the words he used in that interview didn’t quite convince us.

BlackBerry isn’t giving up. In fact, it’s been busy the past few weeks giving the public a peak into the BlackBerry Priv. we’ve seen the first images already and we learned the phone might have a 21MP Sony IMX230 sensor. Before the official launch, an intro video was released and phone was listed for pre-order.

The past few days, BlackBerry has been sharing more information about how the Priv will be different. Mobile security and privacy were promised by the Canadian smartphone pioneer. Also presented to us were the four important principles BlackBerry follows. We’re convinced that the company is an expert in private and secure mobile solutions‎. Its decision to work on an Android device is not a desperate move to stay in the mobile industry. It’s more of wanting to really expand and help Android become safe and secure for mobile phone owners.

We knew a BlackBerry Android device would be possible since the BlackBerry 10 started to accept Android apps not only from the Google Play Store but also from Amazon App Store. This partnership between the two hopes to take advantage of Android’s flexiblity and BlackBerry’s secure platform. Android is getting BlackBerry’s security model. This way, you can be sure that Android is free from being compromised by any malicious attacker.

As it has always applied on past devices, BlackBerry is also using the same “world-famous” and reliable mobile security framework that includes BlackBerry’s own Hardware Root of Trust manufacturing process, Verified Boot and Secure Bootchain, hardened Linux kernel, BES12 Enterprise Mobility Management platform, BlackBerry Infrastructure, and FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption.

Here is a quick run-through as provided by BlackBerry:

• Hardware Root of Trust – unique manufacturing process that injects cryptographic keys into the device hardware, providing a secure foundation for the entire platform
• Verified Boot and Secure Bootchain – uses the embedded keys to verify every layer of the device from hardware to OS to applications in order to make sure they haven’t been tampered with.
• Hardened Linux kernel – comes with numerous patches and configuration changes to improve security
• FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption on by default to bring guaranteed privacy
• BlackBerry Infrastructure – secure distributed global network that transmits petabytes of encrypted data to and from the world’s most powerful leaders and professionals.
• BES12 – leading Enterprise Mobility Management platform used by several government agencies and organization

Applying this model on Android makes it more secure and private. In addition, BlackBerry shared that Priv also integrates with Android for Work. This prohibits you to download and use apps on your Work Space. You can only download on the Personal Space. This way, your work and play time are always separate. Google Play for Work will help IT admins of a company to restrict download and make sure others can’t just download unrelated and unproductive apps on their work space.

SOURCE: BlackBerry