ARN

Report: President Obama to get secure BlackBerry 8830

NSA is checking encryption software added by Genesis Key

President Barack Obama is due to receive a high-security BlackBerry 8830 soon, a Washington-based newspaper reported Thursday.

According to the Washington Times, the device is in the final stages of development at the National Security Agency (NSA), which will check that its encryption software meets federal standards. It might not be ready for months, however.

White House officials did not respond to a request to confirm the Times information. Officials at the NSA could not be reached.

According to the newspaper, Obama will be able to send text and e-mail messages and make phone calls on the device, but only to those with the secure software loaded on their own devices. The list of others includes First Lady Michelle Obama and top aides.

The Times said the software comes from Genesis Key Inc. in Washington. The company's CEO, Steven Garrett, is quoted as saying: "We're going to put his BlackBerry back in his hand."

Since his inaugural, the president has used two devices, according to the paper. One is his older-version BlackBerry and the other is an NSA-supplied handheld known as the Sectera Edge from General Dynanics Corp. To use the BlackBerry, Obama has had to plug the Sectera Edge into the BlackBerry, making it cumbersome. Apparently, the 8830 will be easier to use, and also secure.

Several security analysts said in January that the Sectera Edge would be used because of its reputation for secure data communications when used by other federal workers.

Come socialise with us! Facebook | LinkedIn

More about: BlackBerry, National Security Agency, NSA
References show all

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the ARN comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: Barack Obama, Blackberry, smartphones
ARN Directory | Distributors relevant to this article
Aquion , Brightpoint Australia , ICT Distribution
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to ARN's news, research and invitation only events.
ARN Distributor Directory
Find distributors by name | vendor | location
Channel Deals
/deals/avg/349_protect-your-android-phones-with-avg
AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd

Protect your Android Phones with AVG Mobilation

More details »
ARN Vendor Directory
Find vendors by name | category

iAsset is a channel management ecosystem that automates all major aspects of the entire sales,marketing and service process, including data tracking, integrated learning, knowledge management and product lifecycle management.