Air Force Enforces BlackBerry Crackdown
- By Nathan Hodge
- March 25, 2010 |
- 10:15 am |
- Categories: Miscellaneous
In the military, a true PowerPoint Ranger goes nowhere without a firmly holstered BlackBerry. But new Air Force regulations are about to make life much more complicated for users of the popular handheld device.
Last week, the Air Force introduced sweeping changes to boost BlackBerry security. Among other things, the service will disable most Bluetooth functionality: The only Bluetooth feature that will continue to work will be the smartcard reader cradle, a device that holds the user’s Common Access Card (a Department of Defense smart ID that is used for computer and network security, pictured here).
The new measures also mean users will not be able to receive text messages with attached photos or videos (Translation: If you get that message that says “FW: Daytona spring break pictures,” you won’t be able to retrieve it.) And they will also restrict users from downloading additional apps to their handheld device.
Don’t like the changes? Too bad. Software on the devices will be automatically updated: Users will get only have one chance to decline their software update while syncing, and any subsequent attempts to sync will disable the BlackBerry until it is updated.
It’s part of a larger shift requiring BlackBerry and Windows mobile devices to be Public Key Infrastructure enabled, so they can send and receive secure e-mail messages. The BlackBerry crackdown seems driven by the service’s focus on cybersecurity. For instance, the Air Force has been reluctant to rescind a ban on thumb drives and other removable media, despite a new Pentagon directive that encourages access.
“Just as physical security measures at forward and stateside bases are constantly being improved to meet current threats, so also are cyberprotection measures taken to protect DoD [Department of Defense] information,” said Maj. Gen. Richard Webber, 24th Air Force commander, in a recent Air Force news item.
But one Air Force IT professional tells Danger Room the strict new measures may be costly and difficult to implement. “Either way, we (base comm squadrons) are essentially on our own since our centralization efforts have not sent the right people to the right places,” the source said. “Customer service is absent at the higher levels of support.”
Photo: U.S. Department of Defense
just a little thing, but when talking about Air Force crackdown you should probably have an Air Force picture instead of someone in the navy.
Just the latest implementation of Control’s “cone of silence”
Actually, if it is an AF issued Blackberry, they can pretty much lock it down however they want. I thought requiring the CAC card was their way of securing it.
Like Gus said, if it’s USAF property, they can restrict it however they like. This isn’t really a big deal, is it?
just a little thing, but when you post a picture of a chick, you should prbably have her face in there as well instead of just her hands.
Pictured is the USB version for your desktop. You want the shit-hot Bluetooth connected CAC reader.
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/ataglance/security/products/smartcardreader/
It would be nice to someday have the smart card reader slot integrated into your CrackBerry.
This is all branches, it was a DOD wide directive. For example DON was required to be completed just prior to Christmas.
@Pharaun. your an idiot. it says AIRFORCE right on the dam card.
If you want a bunch of apps get your own BB. I know people who have two, one employer-issued, and one personal.
The picture was changed shortly after pharaun made his comment, presumably in response to it. The original picture featured a man with a blackberry surrounded by children.
I used to work for a govt agency where we all had TSS/CI clearance. In my ofice we had to deposit cellphones, blackberries, etc. at the door…we were reminded to do this by the metal detector we passed through every day. We were not given blackberries when we traveled for work, and we were not permitted to keep work related stuff on any mobile device except for the occasional super locked down laptop. All that just seemed sort of like common sense…as does this story.
The DOD is in the defense business. The rules can be strict. If they issue a piece of equipment they determine the usage, no different than a corporate environment. If you can’t do your personal thing on the companies equipment that is just the way it works. Most companies don’t allow you to make personal copies on the company copier either.
If it is a problem get your own device and don’t use it at work.
“She got Man hands, Man hands”. Please do not show the rest of her, Please, thanks. Does the AF have a female boxing team or a female full contact fighting team?
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Oh well I just hope with this operation the whole blackberry system won’t shutdown like this one. http://bit.ly/blackberry-goes-black-again
This is not unusual at all. Most companies implement security policies. On the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, the admin creates a security policy that locks down multimedia text msgs, the ability to install applications, Bluetooth, block personal email, etc. The BlackBerry then gets encrypted when the policy is pushed out. I am not even sure the users will see a prompt to reject it, that’s optional. Activating a new BlackBerry only requires an email address and a password provided by the BlackBerry admin. The BlackBerry sends and receives data to the RIM data center in a highly encrypted fashion. A header on the packet denotes the serial number of the Air Force server and that’s how RIM routes the encrypted packets to the right server. Then the Air Force’s BlackBerry Enterprise server decrypts the message and sends it through the Air Forces network to their email server, etc. Even web surfing on the BlackBerry flows through the Air Force network so whatever web filtering used internally is still in effect.
BlackBerry is the most secure smart phone you can get. It’s possible that the military has their own RIM like data center for extra security. i.e. data flows not thru Research in Motion but through a military networked data center. So if RIM goes down it might not impact the military. We know that Obama received a special BlackBerry that has even more security measures in place.
of course its an AF photo — can’t you tell by the french manicure? ;o)