Android is not exactly the most secure operating system, and BlackBerry is preparing to stake its future on the OS. Alex Manea, Director of BlackBerry Security, understands that this means taking a little more effort to beef up the security and has outlined the steps that have been taken to maintain BlackBerry’s reputation for security.
The BlackBerry Priv will be built on a manufacturing process that embeds cryptographic keys into the hardware, mainly to prevent the device from being tampered with. A Verified Boot and Secure Bootchain uses the embedded keys to verify every layer of the device, from the hardware to the operating system. It won’t matter much for regular consumers, but is likely to be a big deal for governments who are worried about listening devices being planted in their phones. Although it should also prevent malware from running unverified apps as well.
A new DTEK app will also help manage passwords and privacy settings by informing users about which apps are accessing their personal infomation. The app will also warn users if their password is too weak, and provide help with improving their security rating.
This probably won’t make the Android OS completely fool proof, but it should make it more secure than other phones running on the same platform. To be fair, it had better be secure if BlackBerry is going to convince its traditional customers to switch over to Android.
[Source: BlackBerry]
