BlackBerry's multiplatform Secure Work Space now has Security Technical Implementation Guide approval from the Defense Information Systems Agency, which means the system can be used by government employees and others who need to maintain security while sharing and sending sensitive information.
Secure Work Space is a back-end system released in early 2013. It allows BlackBerry's customers to maintain and control various mobile devices on internal networks.
The multiplatform containerization solution is managed through BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES10) and now includes iOS and Android devices. The service works with both tablets and smartphones. It can be implemented if users are connected to the BES10 Enterprise Mobility Management solution.
The STIG approval will help give government agencies dealing with confidential data an extra layer of confidence when transmitting information across insecure channels. The announcement came Wednesday, according to a report. Government agencies may be a little more flexible now in their range of OS options and devices for employee use.
BlackBerry's BES 10 Enterprise Mobility Management solution ensures protocols for data-at-rest and data-in-transit in the iOS and Android environments. That means sensitive data will be protected and secure when it is transmitted through any vulnerable channels being used by agencies, as a report notes.
BlackBerry released the new security management service for competing devices on its BES system as part of a strategy to bolster the company in the face of declining use versus Android and iOS devices, according to a report.
BlackBerry has been a preferred device among governments around the world and was once a major leader in secure enterprise mobile environments. So far, BlackBerry has received at least 50 certifications from governments. The BlackBerry 10 platform is still the only solution to receive Full Operational Capability certification to run on Department of Defense networks in the U.S.
BlackBerry has been restructuring under new CEO John Chen. Layoffs and the sale of some real estate over the past three years seem to be over. It also is making strategic acquisitions, like its recent purchase of German anti-eavesdropping company Secusmart, to maintain a presence in enterprises seeking secure devices and mobile operating systems.
As BlackBerry tweaks its products and services in the security niche, it may have a chance to regain its credibility and relevance, but it faces major competitive battles along the way.
