Blackberry buys Secusmart to tighten security protocols

Ever since the reports of phone tapping and spying on various people and organization all over the world started surfacing most handheld device makers have started taking security as a prime concern and developing smarter and secure devices became their top priority.

BlackBerry – Licensed Image: BlackBerry Box / CC BY-SA

So, it comes as no surprise that the Waterloo, Ont.-based Company Blackberry Limited formerly known as Research in Motion Limited has bought the German anti-eavesdropping firm Secusmart as it attempts to bolster its phone’s security. Secusmart has developed a technology to protect the smartphones of German government officials, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, as it was reported earlier that her phone was being tapped by the NSA (National Security Agency), a U.S agency. Secusmart developed special technology for BlackBerry 10 phones that were distributed to several German government agencies, ministries and leaders after being approved by the country’s information security office.

For the time being the financial details of the deal are being kept under wraps. This move puts blackberry in a position against the competitors like Apple and Samsung that have been making inroads into mobile security, a field where Blackberry used to dominate previously.

In the recent times Corporate and government security has become a very hot topic. As many businesses and governments face cases of data breach and stolen information, it is becoming increasingly important to address these issues. On Tuesday, the Canadian government announced that Chinese hackers infiltrated computer systems at the National Research Council. As more and more government agencies are relying upon smartphones to transfer vital information and data, the possibility of data theft is increasing rapidly.