[Commons-Law] Government may decide to scrap BlackBerry services
Via: "Prashant Iyengar"
More news that might distress you particularly Anil :)
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2008052855781300.htm&date=2008/05/28/&prd=th&
Government may decide to scrap BlackBerry services
Sandeep Joshi
Security agencies unable to read e-mails of its users
BlackBerry vendor does not possess a 'master key'
NEW DELHI: Inability on part of the Canada-based firm Research In
Motion (RIM), the vendor of 'BlackBerry' smartphones, to allow Indian
security agencies to read messages or e-mails of its users is likely
to further complicate matters, and could even lead to scrapping of
BlackBerry services in the country.
According to RIM: "The BlackBerry security architecture for enterprise
customers is based on a symmetric key system whereby the customers
create their own key and only the customer ever possesses a copy of
his encryption key.
"RIM does not possess a 'master key,' nor does any 'back door' exist
in the system that would allow RIM or any third party to gain
unauthorised access to the key or corporate data.
"The BlackBerry security architecture for enterprise customers is
purposefully designed to exclude the capability for RIM or any third
party to read encrypted information under any circumstances. RIM would
simply be unable to accommodate any request for a copy of a customer's
encryption key since at no time does RIM, or any wireless network
operator, ever possess a copy of the key," the company has said.
RIM's reply comes after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)
asked the Canadian firm to allow it and Indian security agencies
access to messages and e-mails transferred through its system. After
objections from the security agencies, the Union Home Ministry had
asked DoT to ask RIM to provide the 'master key' so that it could
access the contents transferred over the handheld device.
Stating that the BlackBerry security architecture was also
purposefully designed to perform as a global system independent of
geography, RIM said the location of data centres and the customer's
choice of wireless network were irrelevant factors from a security
perspective since end-to-end encryption was utilised and transmissions
were no more decipherable or less secure based on the selection of a
wireless network or the location of a data centre. "All data remains
encrypted through all points of transfer between the customer's
BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the customer's device [at no point in
the transfer is data decrypted and re-encrypted]."
"RIM understands and respects the concerns of governments. RIM
operates in over 135 countries today and provides a security
architecture that has been widely scrutinised over the last nine years
and has been accepted and embraced by security-conscious corporations
and governments around the world. Governments have a wide range of
resources and methodologies to satisfy national security and law
enforcement needs without compromising commercial security
requirements," it said.
Though DoT and RIM have been holding talks to resolve the issue, the
recent advisory by the latter to its BlackBerry subscribers might
force the government to take some harsh steps. This could include
scrapping of the service in India altogether, said sources in DoT.
DoT has been demanding RIM to set up its servers in India so that its
traffic could be monitored by the security agencies, but RIM has so
far ruled out any such possibility. According to telecom industry
sources, there are over 4-lakh BlackBerry subscribers in India and
their numbers are increasing fast. Leading operators like Bharti
Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Reliance Communications are offering this
service.
(c) Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
On Wed, May 28, 2008 at 10:59 AM, wrote:
> Its distressing to hear about what prof phatak says. I support iitb and others on this position
>
> Keep it up
>
> Anil
> Anilg@sristi.org
> Sent from my BlackBerry(R) wireless device
>
>
More news that might distress you particularly Anil :)
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2008052855781300.htm&date=2008/05/28/&prd=th&
Government may decide to scrap BlackBerry services
Sandeep Joshi
Security agencies unable to read e-mails of its users
BlackBerry vendor does not possess a 'master key'
NEW DELHI: Inability on part of the Canada-based firm Research In
Motion (RIM), the vendor of 'BlackBerry' smartphones, to allow Indian
security agencies to read messages or e-mails of its users is likely
to further complicate matters, and could even lead to scrapping of
BlackBerry services in the country.
According to RIM: "The BlackBerry security architecture for enterprise
customers is based on a symmetric key system whereby the customers
create their own key and only the customer ever possesses a copy of
his encryption key.
"RIM does not possess a 'master key,' nor does any 'back door' exist
in the system that would allow RIM or any third party to gain
unauthorised access to the key or corporate data.
"The BlackBerry security architecture for enterprise customers is
purposefully designed to exclude the capability for RIM or any third
party to read encrypted information under any circumstances. RIM would
simply be unable to accommodate any request for a copy of a customer's
encryption key since at no time does RIM, or any wireless network
operator, ever possess a copy of the key," the company has said.
RIM's reply comes after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)
asked the Canadian firm to allow it and Indian security agencies
access to messages and e-mails transferred through its system. After
objections from the security agencies, the Union Home Ministry had
asked DoT to ask RIM to provide the 'master key' so that it could
access the contents transferred over the handheld device.
Stating that the BlackBerry security architecture was also
purposefully designed to perform as a global system independent of
geography, RIM said the location of data centres and the customer's
choice of wireless network were irrelevant factors from a security
perspective since end-to-end encryption was utilised and transmissions
were no more decipherable or less secure based on the selection of a
wireless network or the location of a data centre. "All data remains
encrypted through all points of transfer between the customer's
BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the customer's device [at no point in
the transfer is data decrypted and re-encrypted]."
"RIM understands and respects the concerns of governments. RIM
operates in over 135 countries today and provides a security
architecture that has been widely scrutinised over the last nine years
and has been accepted and embraced by security-conscious corporations
and governments around the world. Governments have a wide range of
resources and methodologies to satisfy national security and law
enforcement needs without compromising commercial security
requirements," it said.
Though DoT and RIM have been holding talks to resolve the issue, the
recent advisory by the latter to its BlackBerry subscribers might
force the government to take some harsh steps. This could include
scrapping of the service in India altogether, said sources in DoT.
DoT has been demanding RIM to set up its servers in India so that its
traffic could be monitored by the security agencies, but RIM has so
far ruled out any such possibility. According to telecom industry
sources, there are over 4-lakh BlackBerry subscribers in India and
their numbers are increasing fast. Leading operators like Bharti
Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Reliance Communications are offering this
service.
(c) Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
On Wed, May 28, 2008 at 10:59 AM, wrote:
> Its distressing to hear about what prof phatak says. I support iitb and others on this position
>
> Keep it up
>
> Anil
> Anilg@sristi.org
> Sent from my BlackBerry(R) wireless device
>
>
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