BlackBerry highlights the need for enhanced security solutions in the government sector during a special event organised for decision makers.
The increasingly relevant and critical issue of secure mobility in the government sector was brought to the fore at a recent event hosted by Express Computer on behalf of BlackBerry.
While mobile device usage is increasing at a rapid pace, so are the concerns around security. These include mobile malware, compliance requirements, and increased security requirement for sensitive data that various government bodies need to protect in the interest of the country. According to various research reports, the government segment is increasingly bearing the brunt of cyber attacks as well as APTs (advanced persistent threats).
To cite but one statistic, according to the Internet Security Threat Report 2014 by Symantec, the government sector was the most targeted among all segments (16%) when it came to spear-phishing attacks that occurred in 2013.
Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director, BlackBerry India, who addressed the audience at the event, referred to the NSA spying revelations made by Edward Snowden and other reports to highlight the growing threats to communication in the government segment, especially heads of states and highly placed officials who are privy to confidential information.
He said that to secure the confidential conversations and data, there is an increasing need to encrypt the communication end-to-end so that there is no leakage or threat at any stage.
Along with his colleagues from BlackBerry, Lalvani demonstrated how BlackBerry can help keep government data as well as voice secure using a combination of technologies. What is more, BlackBerry now extends its secure communication facility to platforms other than its own, including the highly popular Android platform which is seeing very wide adoption in India and other markets worldwide.
Alleviating the concerns of some officials in the audience, Lalvani said that when a government agency or department chooses secure mobility solutions from BlackBerry, the ability to turn the encryption on or off remains in the hands of the concerned department and they can choose the level or type of encryption they want for their purpose.
In addition, the solutions enable the users to completely and securely separate their work and personal profiles, including email, instant messaging and access to other applications. This means they no longer have to use two separate devices to manage their work and personal tasks, which can improve the ease-of-use and efficiency in the government segment.
The event was attended by around 30 senior officials from across various government organisations, including National Investigation Agency, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Communications & IT, National Informactics Centre, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, National Crime Records Bureau and Border Security Force, among others.