British businesses are being told to make certain they accurately configure their BlackBerries, or risk reducing their information-technology security levels.
Online security consultancy NTA Monitor states recent testing revealed that companies are still not making sure the smartphones are locked down. It stresses that BlackBerry infrastructure can be breached if no firewalls are utilized to divide the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) router element from the main BES servers on the inside network. If the BES is jeopardized and the BES router is not separate, it can result in the entire network becoming insecure, NTA says.
RIM vice president of global security Scott Totzke, however, notes that while this strategy might benefit certain BlackBerry clients, it is only one way to protect the devices, and that there is not just one solution for all security needs. He explains that the BlackBerry infrastructure has over 400 configurable security protocols, providing clients the ability to reduce their own risk level. NTA Monitor also suggests that BlackBerry administrators shut off Bluetooth, although Totzke points out that the BlackBerry model permits users to turn on parts of Bluetooth and shut off others, which may be the best response.
Source:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,39365233,00.htm
