[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Earlier today, we reported how BlackBerry had kicked off their software licensing initiative with the release of BlackBerry Hub+ for Android, a suite of Android applications by BlackBerry which have previously only been available (on Android) on the BlackBerry DTEK50 and BlackBerry Priv.
Interestingly this has led to a whole load of enquiries coming in, with the main question received being “Why would I need to buy a BlackBerry phone now?”
While it is a valid question, it is basing it on the fact that the DTEK50 (and Priv) are solely based on BlackBerry’s software – and this is certainly not the case.
While BlackBerry’s software certainly enhances the device, the DTEK50 is about much more than just the software.  Google didn’t give permission for BlackBerry to classify it as the “world’s most secure Android phone” with no good reason.
A BlackBerry spokesperson stated to Rapid Meta:
“We already do Software licensing programs in other parts of our business. So, it’s also important to bring this strategy to our Mobility Solutions business unit as well.
We plan to continue expanding our software platform by finding ways to maximise the engineering savvy of BlackBerry 10 and other proprietary software, and make it available to more users outside of the BlackBerry community.”
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]DTEK50 was designed to address the security and privacy needs of today’s uncompromising Android users and BlackBerry’s DTEK50 has unique built-in hardware security. DTEK50 encrypts all users’ information, including business critical data and personal data such as pictures, videos and contacts. Malware protection is also built-in along with back-up, wipe and restore capabilities.
BlackBerry also delivers security patches on the same day that Google publicly releases information about them, while many popular Android smartphones put the users’ private information at risk of being hacked due to slow security updates.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The spokesperson continued:
“As for the BlackBerry Hub + app we’re launching today, our customers have always raved about the unique experience of our proprietary productivity apps. This popularity drove us to start by making the BlackBerry Hub+ available to all Android M devices regardless of the manufacturer.”
“DTEK50 is a unique device and the world’s most secure Android smartphone. It does not only offer the experience of our proprietary productivity apps but also has our unique security, including our DTEK security protection app,privacy on board.”
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Features that make DTEK50 the most secure Android smartphone, include:
- Rapid Security Patching: BlackBerry has a record of being the quickest to deliver security patches, setting the bar in incident response and patch management to protect your device from malicious threats.
- DTEK by BlackBerry App: Enables users to automatically monitor their OS and apps to know when their privacy could be at risk and to take action to improve it. The DTEK app also tracks applications and notifies you when someone is: taking pictures or videos without your knowledge, turning your microphone on, sending a text message, or accessing your contacts or location.
- Hardware Root of Trust: BlackBerry’s manufacturing process uses a proprietary technique that adds security from the start, allowing for the tracking, verification and provisioning of DTEK50.
- Secure Boot Process: Starting with the root of trust, each stage of DTEK50’s secure boot chain must first verify that the next component is fully intact before proceeding, ensuring your device has not been tampered with since the last restart.
- Android OS hardening: BlackBerry provides additional security patches, improved random number, address space generation and certificate pinning to make it more difficult for attackers to target a device by scrambling application/system memory.
- FIPS 140-2 Compliant Full Disk Encryption: Protects your private information, like pictures or bank information, from being stolen if you were to lose your phone.
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