1. NursingNinja's Avatar
    If my device is encrypted is it still possible for the NSA for example, or hackers or apps, or Google, to track my location and sell my profile like a cheap hooker? Or does the encryption scramble all the data when locked so that nobody can see or touch it?
    12-09-13 11:17 PM
  2. propeller10's Avatar
    Ask the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.
    stlabrat likes this.
    12-09-13 11:22 PM
  3. pkcable's Avatar
    Nothing is 100% but you have a much better chance with a BB of your info staying safe than you do with Apple or Android.
    12-10-13 12:34 AM
  4. NursingNinja's Avatar
    Reason I ask is I recall that I encrypted my 9900 once and it was impossible to us the bridge while it was locked. I had to removed the phone from the holster and unlock it. So that could be an advantage right there.

    Posted via CB10
    12-10-13 06:24 AM
  5. kbz1960's Avatar
    I don't know. Does encryption do anything with gps?
    12-10-13 06:39 AM
  6. mikeo007's Avatar
    It will stop data from being forcibly extracted from your device. It won't, however, stop a rogue application from sending your location data to a server somewhere. It also won't stop a rogue application from accessing and storing your shared files. If you're concerned, only download from a trusted source and be careful what permissions you grant your apps.
    pantlesspenguin likes this.
    12-10-13 06:55 AM
  7. Troy Tiscareno's Avatar
    It also don't stop your phone calls from being intercepted (all phones use standard cell-phone networks, which are easily "compromised" by the carriers themselves), your SMS/MMS messages from being read/stored, and your phone's gross location from being tracked. Those are things that can be done with any phone. Heck, every phone made in the last 10 years can have, say, the microphone turned on remotely by the carrier (usually at the request of law enforcement, but not necessarily via a warrant), so they could be listening in to your conversations while your phone is "locked."

    It also won't make it any harder to get your email messages, unless you're on BES and you only communicate with people on the same corporate BES system. Anything that you (or they) send to an outside email address is potentially compromised.

    Data in your apps may or may not be encrypted; that's up to the individual app authors. Generally, banking/financial apps are encrypted, but many other types are not, so your apps could be communicating "in the clear".

    The point is: there are LOTS of vectors for attack/compromise on a smartphone, and while a BES-secured BB gives *some* additional protection if used properly, there are still many ways your information can be obtained.
    12-10-13 02:09 PM
  8. NursingNinja's Avatar
    Wow so anytime you grant an app permission to access files on the device or in the cloud then you are compromising all your pdf's? I thought my phone was the best place to keep those. All apps ask for that permission. I thought it was just so they could save data for the app on the phone or something.
    12-15-13 11:37 AM
  9. NursingNinja's Avatar
    I have another encryption question. When I set my phone to encrypt it took a long time, perhaps an hour or so I don't know.

    When I type in my passcode my phone is instantly unlocked and I can read anything I like. If I were to decrypt my phone that would take a long time thought it would not be instant.

    So what is really going on behind the scenes? If you have a link to an article I will read it. Tried a few searches and came up dry. It's obvious I lack a fundamental understanding of what is going on.

    What confuses me is that if the phone is really encrypted when it is locked then how is it that it 'decrypts' so quickly when unlocked... Am I making any sense?
    12-15-13 11:44 AM

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