Enterprise mobility
Enterprise mobility
CAN BLACKBERRY BE SAVED? Canadian smartphone vendor BlackBerry suffered some crushing quarters. Can the company return to its roots in enterprise security and save its skin? Danny Bradbury reports.
John Chen CEO, Blackberry
T
he past few years have been rocky for BlackBerry. The smartphone company, once the darling of the Canadian tech industry, lost its grip on the telephone and electronics market as consumer-friendly operating systems from Apple and Google flooded stores and eroded market share. Turnaround CEO John Chen is doing his best to pull the company out of the mire – and he’s using cybersecurity as a key part of his arsenal – but many question whether it might be too late for the company’s once ubiquitous enterprise device. BlackBerry has consolidated an already strong position in enterprise mobile security over the past couple of years, leading to glowing reports from some analyst firms. Chen started by reorganizing the company to let its security capabilities shine, says Tyler Shields, Forrester’s senior analyst for mobile and application security. Chen created four reporting divisions – just one of these was hardware, with other divisions covering enterprise services and software. “That alone was enough to get
the market to realize that they have other things to sell,” Shields says. Security has always been a mainstay for BlackBerry, explains Shields. “Many people didn’t understand what a smartphone was when BlackBerry was implementing operating system security controls,” he says. BlackBerry’s rich security heritage is particularly important in a world where cybersecurity touches all parts of the enterprise mobile infrastructure. “A lot of companies equate solving the bring-yourown-device (BYOD) problem with mobile security, but the reality is that there’s a lot more to it than that,” says Stacy Crook, a research director for IDC’s mobile enterprise research programs. These days, security in the mobile enterprise extends from the technology into areas such as mobile usage policy. And even purely inside the technology infrastructure, mobile security extends into different areas, points out Forrester’s Shields. He highlights the mobile operating system and hardware as one aspect of the
C1 SC • October 2014 • www.scmagazine.com
mobile system and the apps running on the phone as another. Finally, he identifies the network and the data that moves across it as a critical pillar of the mobile security story. “When you bundle all of these things together, it’s the core that makes up BlackBerry,” he says. BlackBerry has been bolstering its security features in all of these areas over recent years, particularly with the launch of BlackBerry 10, the latest version of its smartphone operating system, which includes several security features designed to protect users. Collected together under the banner BlackBerry Safeguard, these features include parental controls, private browsing, per-app permission settings and security settings for SIM cards. In particular, one feature, BlackBerry Protect, allows enterprise users to remotely wipe devices and transfer their contacts, text messages, calendar and bookmarks to a new device. Users also can locate the device on a map and display messages for whoever finds it.
...we know communication with customers and third parties is key...”
The firm is also encrypting data – both at rest on the phone and transmitted over the air with 256-bit keys – and it is randomly scrambling code in memory, presenting another barrier for malware. The security extends to third-party – Michael Brown, BlackBerry software running on the phone, which symbolic commitment to cybersecurity. systems to be used by a single user who is particularly important as BlackBerry At the start of October, it appointed remains in control,” he says. now allows Android applications to be Michael Daniels to its board. A seasoned Talking of other vendors, BlackBerry installed on its devices. BlackBerry signed pro in the telecommunications and has been busy building out security a deal with Trend Micro in February cybersecurity arena, from 1995 to 2000, support for its platforms, too, no doubt 2013 to scan apps for malware when they Daniels served as chair of Network cowed by their rising market share. It are submitted to the app store. This deal Solutions, an American company that does offers this via Secure Work Space, incorporates Trend Micro’s application manages nearly 10 million domain names. a feature within its backend enterprise reputation service. The mobile phone The company was acquired by VeriSign mobile management solution, BlackBerry vendor also launched Guardian, a feature for $21 billion in 2000. Daniels is now on Enterprise Server 10 (BES 10). This that scans all of the apps in its app store the board of Mercury Systems, a secure feature works by wrapping applications for malware. As of BlackBerry 10.3, the sensor processing systems company, and and implementing software containers tool also scans Android apps installed on iOS and Android managed by BES 10. is the chair of Invincea, which provides outside of its own BlackBerry World app cybersecurity solutions. It will support Windows store, including those from What is next for BlackBerry as it Phone with the new the Amazon App Store. continues to forge ahead in the cybersecuversion, BES 12, coming “We also have an active rity space? It isn’t out of the woods yet. this fall. security response team that Crook says that the firm’s QNX Software Not content with communicates frequently (which powers BB10) is big in the building out its own to our customers with embedded space, leading to a possible technology, the cash-rich, malware and privacy business in securing the Internet of loss-making company notices,” says Michael Things. However, that’s a market in has also been on the Brown, VP of security which BlackBerry has little cachet. acquisition path. In July, product management Before it reaches those heady heights, it bought Secusmart, a and research, BlackBerry. it must persuade a sceptical customer Germany-based outfit that “We take a proactive Stacy Crook, research director, IDC base that its products are relevant, develops and implements approach because we know warns Battista at Info-Tech Research. anti-eavesdropping solutions for communication with customers and third “BlackBerry put itself in a tough position government agencies and organisations. parties is key to quickly resolving issues.” with BES 10,” he says. “It was such a “That gives them the ability to secure The company is also tackling the major upgrade that existing BlackBerry voice communications, which differentiBYOD challenge with BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) shops had little ates them from other offerings in the Balance, a Safeguard feature that uses advantage to upgrade to BES 10 over market,” says IDC’s Crook. dual file systems for work and personal switching to another enterprise mobility In September, the company also apps. This provides a protected space management (EMM) vendor. BES as a for corporate apps and data, eliminating purchased UK-based Movirtu, which cross-platform EMM solution (rather than the need for employees to carry multiple develops and markets identity solutions just an upgrade to legacy BES shops) is a for mobile operators. This company devices. tough sell in many organizations I talk to.” provides virtual SIM cards that eliminate “Having the separation of work With yet another major upgrade to BES the need for users to plug different SIM and personal lives built right into the just around the corner, the firm’s challengcards into the same phone. “It will allow hardware and operating systems has es may be just as much marketing-based for split billing on the devices, so you advantages for security and usability,” as they are technical. BlackBerry’s security can know how much of your data plan says Michael Battista, senior consulting story is solid, but the company still has you use for personal versus company analyst at London, Ontario-based market its work cut out persuading customers to locations,” Crook adds. research firm Info-Tech Research. stay the course as it struggles to navigate Most recently, BlackBerry also “In a way, it’s the opposite of Apple, stormy waters. n acquired some human capital in a which builds hardware and operating
www.scmagazine.com • October 2014 • SC C2
CAN BLACKBERRY BE SAVED? Canadian smartphone vendor BlackBerry suffered some crushing quarters. Can the company return to its roots in enterprise security and save its skin? Danny Bradbury reports.
John Chen CEO, Blackberry
T
he past few years have been rocky for BlackBerry. The smartphone company, once the darling of the Canadian tech industry, lost its grip on the telephone and electronics market as consumer-friendly operating systems from Apple and Google flooded stores and eroded market share. Turnaround CEO John Chen is doing his best to pull the company out of the mire – and he’s using cybersecurity as a key part of his arsenal – but many question whether it might be too late for the company’s once ubiquitous enterprise device. BlackBerry has consolidated an already strong position in enterprise mobile security over the past couple of years, leading to glowing reports from some analyst firms. Chen started by reorganizing the company to let its security capabilities shine, says Tyler Shields, Forrester’s senior analyst for mobile and application security. Chen created four reporting divisions – just one of these was hardware, with other divisions covering enterprise services and software. “That alone was enough to get
the market to realize that they have other things to sell,” Shields says. Security has always been a mainstay for BlackBerry, explains Shields. “Many people didn’t understand what a smartphone was when BlackBerry was implementing operating system security controls,” he says. BlackBerry’s rich security heritage is particularly important in a world where cybersecurity touches all parts of the enterprise mobile infrastructure. “A lot of companies equate solving the bring-yourown-device (BYOD) problem with mobile security, but the reality is that there’s a lot more to it than that,” says Stacy Crook, a research director for IDC’s mobile enterprise research programs. These days, security in the mobile enterprise extends from the technology into areas such as mobile usage policy. And even purely inside the technology infrastructure, mobile security extends into different areas, points out Forrester’s Shields. He highlights the mobile operating system and hardware as one aspect of the
C1 SC • October 2014 • www.scmagazine.com
mobile system and the apps running on the phone as another. Finally, he identifies the network and the data that moves across it as a critical pillar of the mobile security story. “When you bundle all of these things together, it’s the core that makes up BlackBerry,” he says. BlackBerry has been bolstering its security features in all of these areas over recent years, particularly with the launch of BlackBerry 10, the latest version of its smartphone operating system, which includes several security features designed to protect users. Collected together under the banner BlackBerry Safeguard, these features include parental controls, private browsing, per-app permission settings and security settings for SIM cards. In particular, one feature, BlackBerry Protect, allows enterprise users to remotely wipe devices and transfer their contacts, text messages, calendar and bookmarks to a new device. Users also can locate the device on a map and display messages for whoever finds it.
...we know communication with customers and third parties is key...”
The firm is also encrypting data – both at rest on the phone and transmitted over the air with 256-bit keys – and it is randomly scrambling code in memory, presenting another barrier for malware. The security extends to third-party – Michael Brown, BlackBerry software running on the phone, which symbolic commitment to cybersecurity. systems to be used by a single user who is particularly important as BlackBerry At the start of October, it appointed remains in control,” he says. now allows Android applications to be Michael Daniels to its board. A seasoned Talking of other vendors, BlackBerry installed on its devices. BlackBerry signed pro in the telecommunications and has been busy building out security a deal with Trend Micro in February cybersecurity arena, from 1995 to 2000, support for its platforms, too, no doubt 2013 to scan apps for malware when they Daniels served as chair of Network cowed by their rising market share. It are submitted to the app store. This deal Solutions, an American company that does offers this via Secure Work Space, incorporates Trend Micro’s application manages nearly 10 million domain names. a feature within its backend enterprise reputation service. The mobile phone The company was acquired by VeriSign mobile management solution, BlackBerry vendor also launched Guardian, a feature for $21 billion in 2000. Daniels is now on Enterprise Server 10 (BES 10). This that scans all of the apps in its app store the board of Mercury Systems, a secure feature works by wrapping applications for malware. As of BlackBerry 10.3, the sensor processing systems company, and and implementing software containers tool also scans Android apps installed on iOS and Android managed by BES 10. is the chair of Invincea, which provides outside of its own BlackBerry World app cybersecurity solutions. It will support Windows store, including those from What is next for BlackBerry as it Phone with the new the Amazon App Store. continues to forge ahead in the cybersecuversion, BES 12, coming “We also have an active rity space? It isn’t out of the woods yet. this fall. security response team that Crook says that the firm’s QNX Software Not content with communicates frequently (which powers BB10) is big in the building out its own to our customers with embedded space, leading to a possible technology, the cash-rich, malware and privacy business in securing the Internet of loss-making company notices,” says Michael Things. However, that’s a market in has also been on the Brown, VP of security which BlackBerry has little cachet. acquisition path. In July, product management Before it reaches those heady heights, it bought Secusmart, a and research, BlackBerry. it must persuade a sceptical customer Germany-based outfit that “We take a proactive Stacy Crook, research director, IDC base that its products are relevant, develops and implements approach because we know warns Battista at Info-Tech Research. anti-eavesdropping solutions for communication with customers and third “BlackBerry put itself in a tough position government agencies and organisations. parties is key to quickly resolving issues.” with BES 10,” he says. “It was such a “That gives them the ability to secure The company is also tackling the major upgrade that existing BlackBerry voice communications, which differentiBYOD challenge with BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) shops had little ates them from other offerings in the Balance, a Safeguard feature that uses advantage to upgrade to BES 10 over market,” says IDC’s Crook. dual file systems for work and personal switching to another enterprise mobility In September, the company also apps. This provides a protected space management (EMM) vendor. BES as a for corporate apps and data, eliminating purchased UK-based Movirtu, which cross-platform EMM solution (rather than the need for employees to carry multiple develops and markets identity solutions just an upgrade to legacy BES shops) is a for mobile operators. This company devices. tough sell in many organizations I talk to.” provides virtual SIM cards that eliminate “Having the separation of work With yet another major upgrade to BES the need for users to plug different SIM and personal lives built right into the just around the corner, the firm’s challengcards into the same phone. “It will allow hardware and operating systems has es may be just as much marketing-based for split billing on the devices, so you advantages for security and usability,” as they are technical. BlackBerry’s security can know how much of your data plan says Michael Battista, senior consulting story is solid, but the company still has you use for personal versus company analyst at London, Ontario-based market its work cut out persuading customers to locations,” Crook adds. research firm Info-Tech Research. stay the course as it struggles to navigate Most recently, BlackBerry also “In a way, it’s the opposite of Apple, stormy waters. n acquired some human capital in a which builds hardware and operating
www.scmagazine.com • October 2014 • SC C2
