[TheYalier]

I recently started thinking that it might be a good idea for me to protect information on my BlackBerry through use of their "native" encryption. But after reading a few forum threads and RIM manuals, I have to say, I'm really confused and was hoping someone could tell me what I want to know in a very straight forward way. Here are my questions:

- I already have a device password, should I still encrypt my phone if I think my files need that kind of security or does the password and BB Protect do most of the job already?

- I'm not planning on turning on encryption on the media card (mostly because I heard it can be a pain and very confusing), but I'm planning on turning it on device memory. If I do encrypt it, what will happen exactly? Will my messages take longer to be sent? And will it take longer for me to recieve them?

- Will BlackBerry Protect work if my device memory is encrypted?

- What are the pros and cons of encrypting my contacts and my media files ("Include contacts" and "Include media files" check-boxes on "Device Memory" - this is on BB6 running on a Bold 9780)?

- Will I have the encryption key used by my device/RIM?

- Is a password (other than my device password) nescessary for device memory encryption?

- Lastly, if I do encrypt it, would you suggest that I set it to "strong", "stronger" or "strongest"?

Anyways, thanks for the help, I know I might sound quite clueless and as a matter of fact I am about this topic. Any help is very much appreciated.

[kill_9]

I recently started thinking that it might be a good idea for me to protect information on my BlackBerry through use of their "native" encryption. But after reading a few forum threads and RIM manuals, I have to say, I'm really confused and was hoping someone could tell me what I want to know in a very straight forward way. Here are my questions:

- I already have a device password, should I still encrypt my phone if I think my files need that kind of security or does the password and BB Protect do most of the job already?

Answer: No, the device password and BlackBerry Protect do not encrypt any data stored on the smartphone.

- I'm not planning on turning on encryption on the media card (mostly because I heard it can be a pain and very confusing), but I'm planning on turning it on device memory. If I do encrypt it, what will happen exactly? Will my messages take longer to be sent? And will it take longer for me to recieve them?

Answer: If you enable media card encryption then any restoration from backup will require the encryption key generated by the smartphone and if you forget it you can forget retrieving your data. Messages will not take longer to send or receive because the encryption used for messages is active all the time and cannot be disabled.

- Will BlackBerry Protect work if my device memory is encrypted?

Answer: No idea. Read the manual.

- What are the pros and cons of encrypting my contacts and my media files ("Include contacts" and "Include media files" check-boxes on "Device Memory" - this is on BB6 running on a Bold 9780)?

Answer: Benefit of device encryption is the contents of the smartphone are protected in the event the device is lost or stolen. A password will be required to decrypt the contents.

- Will I have the encryption key used by my device/RIM?

Answer: If you forget the password you loose access to the encrypted data. The encryption password is stored in your head which can be a failure point for many persons.

- Is a password (other than my device password) nescessary for device memory encryption?

Answer: Yes However, you can use the same password

- Lastly, if I do encrypt it, would you suggest that I set it to "strong", "stronger" or "strongest"?

Answer: How sensitive is the data?

Anyways, thanks for the help, I know I might sound quite clueless and as a matter of fact I am about this topic. Any help is very much appreciated.

10characters

[TheYalier]

Wow, thanks that really covered most if not all I needed to know. I'd say it's rather sensitive data but maybe not enough to set it in its strongest mode. Thanks.

[janeka]

They have so Many threads on here about bb encryption.

[hornlovah]

I recently started thinking that it might be a good idea for me to protect information on my BlackBerry through use of their "native" encryption. But after reading a few forum threads and RIM manuals, I have to say, I'm really confused and was hoping someone could tell me what I want to know in a very straight forward way. Here are my questions:

- I already have a device password, should I still encrypt my phone if I think my files need that kind of security or does the password and BB Protect do most of the job already?

At present, your password will protect your phone against any software-based attacks, like the Cellebrite units you read about and see on TV. Encryption will protect your data against more advanced attacks that involve disassembly and using specialized equipment to obtain a raw dump of your device's memory.

- I'm not planning on turning on encryption on the media card (mostly because I heard it can be a pain and very confusing), but I'm planning on turning it on device memory. If I do encrypt it, what will happen exactly? Will my messages take longer to be sent? And will it take longer for me to recieve them?

BBM message encryption (scrambling because the key is shared globally) is already taking place, so you will not notice a difference. Your outgoing BIS text and email messages are not encrypted, so no difference in send time. Accessing previously sent or received email messages might take a moment or two longer, but you're unlikely to notice it. Encryption is about balancing access speed with security, and RIM does this extremely well.

- Will BlackBerry Protect work if my device memory is encrypted?

BlackBerry Protect will not work on encrypted devices.

- What are the pros and cons of encrypting my contacts and my media files ("Include contacts" and "Include media files" check-boxes on "Device Memory" - this is on BB6 running on a Bold 9780)?

When your phone is locked, you will not see a contact's name or picture for incoming calls, only their phone number. Also, custom contact ringtones or contact specific LED lights will not be available when your device is locked.

- Will I have the encryption key used by my device/RIM?

If you were to encrypt your media card with the Device Password only option, the encryption key for files on the media card would be in a hidden file named info.mkf. No other encryption keys are available.

- Is a password (other than my device password) nescessary for device memory encryption?

No

- Lastly, if I do encrypt it, would you suggest that I set it to "strong", "stronger" or "strongest"?

The "Strong, Stronger, and Strongest" settings control encryption key strength for data received while the phone is locked. RIM recommends that you use a 12+ character password for the "Stronger" setting, and a 21+ character password for the "Strongest" setting.