As I recently wrote, BlackBerry phones are the world’s most secure Android smartphones because we’ve designed security into every possible piece of the software that runs them.
We inject security keys during manufacturing to make sure that you have genuine hardware. We utilize “secure boot” technology to make sure that no malware loads before the operating system and to prevent the operating system from being “downgraded” to a less secure version. We make modifications throughout the Android operating system “stack” to not only harden it, but also to have “triggers” that help identify if there is an attempt to hack the software, you are alerted.
BlackBerry locks down capabilities in the Android OS that could give attackers the opportunity to compromise your device, and our software provides a secure environment that makes it difficult for attackers to find vulnerabilities or perform attacks.
The modifications we make to Android, long before the device is ever used, provide more durable security and require far fewer patches than non-BlackBerry smartphones.
When we introduced our first Android device more than 24 months ago, we committed to delivering 2 years of monthly software updates for the PRIV. True to our word, we fulfilled this commitment though in truth, the PRIV’s built-in security posture had little need for many of the updates we delivered in conjunction with partners such as Google and Qualcomm.
Having now stepped outside the original 2-year window, we will no longer be delivering monthly updates for the PRIV moving forward. That said, we continue to support our loyal users as follows:
First, we will of course fulfill all warranty obligations for the PRIV.
Second, as outlined above we believe our phones are inherently more secure because of the way they’ve been designed with security features from the inside out.
Third, should a critical vulnerability be exposed we will engage our partners as needed to develop and deliver necessary patches.
Fourth, we are thrilled to announce that with our partners at BlackBerry Mobile we will soon be introducing a trade-up program for current BlackBerry customers who are still using the PRIV as well as those holding onto BB10 and BBOS devices. Stay tuned for details and get ready to upgrade to a BlackBerry KeyOne or Motion, the most secure Android smartphones on the planet.
