From today, BlackBerry customers will begin seeing two additional logos within BlackBerry World that will serve as visible markers of BlackBerry’s multi-layered approach for vetting apps. These logos will highlight apps that have been scanned by BlackBerry Guardian, our internal, proprietary app analysis program and Trend Micro’s Mobile App Reputation technology.
In order to provide a stringent level of protection for customers, BlackBerry’s multi-layered strategy focuses on innovative scanning techniques, internal analysis and working with industry-leading third-party anti-malware vendors. A critical part of this strategy is the BlackBerry Guardian program, which uses a combination of automated and manual analysis to comprehensively vet apps prior to them being available in our storefront. Apps are also routinely evaluated after submission into BlackBerry World to help ensure that customers remain protected from malware and privacy infringing issues. If we identify an app that doesn’t meet our security and privacy specifications, we investigate and take whatever action is needed to help protect BlackBerry customers.
In conjunction with BlackBerry Guardian, Trend Micro’s advanced mobile scanning and detection capabilities add another layer of protection and assurance for BlackBerry customers. Trend Micro’s Mobile App Reputation technology scans both current and new Android applications submitted to the BlackBerry World storefront for potential malicious behavior. As with BlackBerry Guardian, automated results that do not meet our security or privacy specifications are followed up with manual analysis by the BlackBerry Guardian team.
Given the complex nature and diversity of apps, it is implausible that any mobile vendor will be able to catch 100 percent of all malicious software. This challenge is why it is imperative that BlackBerry implements additional layers of security controls to help ensure our customers enjoy a unique level of security and privacy. To that end, BlackBerry’s detection capabilities are constantly evolving and adapting to address emerging security and privacy concerns in order to help keep BlackBerry customers’ data secure.
To help inform customers about the layered approach BlackBerry uses to vet apps, the BlackBerry Guardian and Trend Micro™ logos will appear on BlackBerry devices when viewing apps in BlackBerry World. These logos help highlight our ongoing commitment to protecting customers from security and privacy concerns.
Security and privacy threats are continuously evolving across the mobile industry, and BlackBerry is committed to working with other security-conscious vendors to help address industrywide challenges. Building upon our successful collaboration, BlackBerry and Trend Micro will continue working together to bolster app security and privacy protections, and the addition of the BlackBerry Guardian and Trend logos in the storefront helps highlight the steps BlackBerry are taking to inform and protect customers.[signoff predefined=”Enjoy this?” icon=”icon-users”][/signoff]
