BlackBerry AtHoc brings Derived Credentials and FedRAMP Authorization on AWS

BlackBerry has brought new technology advancements to BlackBerry AtHoc that will improve how U.S. Federal agencies communicate and collaborate during times of crisis, and reduce the risk of unauthorized access to Federal data, systems and applications.

BlackBerry AtHoc, the first EMNS solution to achieve FedRAMP Authorization is now the first to support Derived Credentials for identity authentication on a mobile device. In addition, BlackBerry has added AWS GovCloud to its cloud infrastructure, making BlackBerry AtHoc services the most widely available EMNS solution to the Federal government. 

A recent report found that 67% of breaches are caused by credential theft and social engineering attacks that capitalized on moments in time like COVID-19.  To protect Federal employees, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) mandates all Federal departments use Derived Credentials for identity proofing on mobile devices.

Support for Derived Credentials within the BlackBerry AtHoc mobile app will allow Federal customers to ensure authentication and authorization to sensitive data when using the app for instant messaging, sending or responding to notifications.

“For U.S. Federal government agencies where the stakes are high, they cannot afford a cybersecurity breach,” said Dubhe Beinhorn, Vice President of BlackBerry AtHoc Federal Sales.

“The combination of securing the Federal mobile workforce using Derived Credentials along with implementing best-in-class security, protection, and compliance services in the FedRAMP-Azure and -AWS environments makes BlackBerry AtHoc the most secure solution for critical event management and emergency mass notification in the market.”

BlackBerry is the only vendor that can provide FedRAMP-Authorized emergency mass notification system (EMNS) services to government customers across the two leading government-certified hosting environments.

BlackBerry AtHoc achieved FedRAMP Authorization on Microsoft Azure Cloud in 2017 and has successfully completed the FedRAMP audit to add AWS GovCloud to its infrastructure. Running BlackBerry AtHoc simultaneously in both the Azure and AWS cloud environments helps to ensure service redundancy and prevent service disruption if one of the cloud environments experiences an outage.

BlackBerry AtHoc is trusted by government, military, commercial and humanitarian organizations around the world including over 70% of U.S. Federal Government employees. The Department of Energy-National Nuclear Security Administration-Kansas City Field Office recently awarded BlackBerry AtHoc its 14th “Authority to Operate” (ATO), joining federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Treasury, and Department of Veterans Affairs.