Secure, Protected, and Connected: BlackBerry 10 Passes the NIAP Government-Grade Security Test
BlackBerry has officially announced BlackBerry 10.3.3 for Government Release, targeted at users in government and other highly-regulated industries.
Ralph Pini, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager for Devices at BlackBerry stated,
“Even as BlackBerry accelerates its enterprise software pivot, we remain committed to providing the smart in the phone. That includes the BlackBerry 10 software platform. We understand how important BlackBerry 10 is for our enterprise clients, especially those working in government, healthcare, and finance.”
For the first time, BlackBerry specifically states that BlackBerry 10 is for Government and other highly-regulated industries, opposed to consumers,
“we’re happy to announce the BlackBerry 10.3.3 for Government Release, targeted at our users in government and other highly-regulated industries. This release, which has already started to roll out across the globe to all BlackBerry 10 devices (please check with your carrier for local availability), further demonstrates BlackBerry leadership in secure mobility and is another milestone in our pivot to focus on software.”
It has been a long, long time coming but BlackBerry 10 has finally passed the strictest government-grade security tests to achieve certification under the National Information Assurance Partnership. NIAP manages the evaluation of technology that adheres to the highest security standards in the U.S. as well as the international Common Criteria standards.
Pini points out,
“NIAP approval for BB 10.3.3 means we’re now better-equipped than ever to support government, enterprise, and regulated customers who require the highest levels of protection for critical data.”
NIAP will award the following Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) level certifications to BB 10.3.3 for:
- Mobile Device Protection Profile
- IPSec VPN Client Protection Profile
- Mobile Device Management Agent Protection Profile
BlackBerry 10.3.3 also includes 3rd party Certificate Manager APIs, in order to allow 3rd parties to store key material in the platform’s protected storage. Users of BlackBerry 10 devices will receive a notification for the 10.3.3 over-the-air software update.
Subject to carrier approvals, the global roll-out of 10.3.3 will become available over the coming weeks for Passport, Classic, Leap, Z30, Q10 and Porsche devices.
