BlackBerry 7 Gets Government Security Stamp

BlackBerry 7 Devices Get FIPS 140-2 Certification for U.S. and Canadian Governments

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) today announced that BlackBerry mobile devices running its new BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry 7.1 Operating Systems  have been awarded FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC).

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

FIPS 140-2 is recognized by the U.S. and Canadian governments and is required under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA). All BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry 7.1 benefit from the certification, the company said.

“With all of the latest BlackBerry smartphones and the PlayBook tablet certified under the FIPS program, government and security-conscious customers can deploy our entire range of products with confidence,” said Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Security at Research In Motion.

In addition to FIPS 140-2 certification, the BlackBerry 7 OS has received Common Criteria EAL4+ certification. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet received FIPS 140-2 validation in July 21, 2011.

Suggested Reading: Why the BlackBerry PlayBook Shows Us The Future of Enterprise Security — Especially if it Fails