Blackberry security: How to ensure your Blackberry device is secure

One area of concern for Smartphone users is the security. There have been several reports of smartphone security breaches and this has raised concerns for mobile phone security. How has the Blackberry remained the most secure smartphone? What are some Blackberry security tips to keep your Blackberry device secure at all times?

Security comparisons of the different smartphones have revealed that the Blackberry is the most secure smartphone in use today. Blackberry security is essential to the product’s success over the years as government agencies and corporate organizations have recognized this and have adopted the Blackberry as their mobile smartphone device. So today I am going to look at the various ways you can ensure your Blackberry’s security. Whether you are using the Blackberry smartphone for professional or personal purposes, security measures should always be put in place to secure your personal data from being stolen.

Blackberry Security tips to keep Blackberry secure:

Data Encryption:  As much as emails sent via Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) is encrypted with an end-to-end security protocol that is completely independent of public certificate authority system, you should ensure even a greater level of encryption on your Blackberry device to secure data stored on your device or memory card. This will make it impossible to interpret your data if your device falls into the wrong hands.

To enable encryption, open menu and scroll to ‘Security Options’, choose encryption and enable encryption from the encryption menu. Choose ‘Strongest’ for the encryption strength. That way you’ll be sure your stored information cannot be accessed from another device.

Use a good Antivirus program: I don’t need to tell you that there are millions of smartphone viruses and malware out there targeted at smartphones and Blackberry is not left out. A spyware infected Blackberry device can intercept emails and text messages that come in and out of the device and forward it to the attackers even without your notice. Smartphone attackers know even if they intercept your blackberry messages on the network level it will be almost impossible to decrypt it so they have devised a smart means of waiting at the end point for the decrypted data before they can steal it since Blackberry-to-Blackberry messages are always encrypted.

So the only way to stay safe is to use a good antivirus/anti-malware programs for your Blackberry device to keep such viruses, spyware and malware out of your device. I have personally used the NetQin mobile Security for Blackberry to keep my device safe against malicious programs, viruses, malware and spyware. The cloud-based scan ensures the antivirus effectively identifies and eliminates such threats. It also comes with an added package, the contacts backup that allows me to backup my contacts and anti-lost feature that helps to remotely locate, delete and lock a lost Blackberry device.

Must Read: How to locate lost mobile phone with NetQin Anti-lost

Use a strong password: Using a strong password on your Blackberry device will give you relief knowing your data will be safe in case you leave your device behind at some point of even lose it. So one of the first things you should do when you acquire a Blackberry phone is to enable the password protection. To password protect your Blackberry device, simply select ‘options’ from the Home Screen, click ‘Security Options’, then ‘General Settings’ and enable the password. Specify the number of failed password attempts you will like to permit before your Blackberry device locks itself down, choose ‘Security Timeout’ period to stay locked down before enabling the password. Ensuring the above Blackberry security will ensure your device safety.

Must Read: Tips to creating strong passwords

Turn off Bluetooth when not in use: There are quite a growing trend of Bluetooth viruses and hacking these days for smartphones and to ensure your Blackberry security, always turn off your Bluetooth when not in use. Do not allow pairing with unknown or un-trusted Bluetooth devices or authorize such Bluetooth devices. Always put the ‘discoverable property’ to NO when you are not using your Bluetooth. Practicing this will ensure your Blackberry security.

Remote access security system: If your Blackberry is a corporate device with an enterprise Blackberry server, you can immediately contact your IT department immediately to wipe your device of your corporate data in case of loss or theft. But if it’s a personal Blackberry I will advise you to install a remote access security system on your Blackberry now, so you can remotely lock or wipe it in case you lose it someday. With a remote access security system, your lost Blackberry is just a lost device. You won’t stand any risk of losing any important data.

Now I hope you can ensure maximum Blackberry security with all the above listed points to safeguarding your Blackberry device. You don’t have to protect your device alone; you should also ensure safety of your data in case you lose your device someday. Blackberry security should be your paramount concern always if you are a Blackberry user. Do you know of other Blackberry security tips? How have you kept your Blackberry device safe? Share with me using the comment form below. Remember to subscribe to my RSS feeds.

Happy Boxing day.