BlackBerry Smart Card Reader Gets US Federal FIPS 120-2 Level 3 Certification

In case you didn’t think RIM’s BlackBerry Smart Card Reader was secure enough RIM now has the US Federal Government standing behind it. They just announced FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification for the smartcard badge reader. If I am not mistaken the device had FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certification for awhile but that has been updated. The cards are supposed to help government officials comply with the US Department of Defense Common Access Card program which wants mandatory reliable identification for government employees and contractors. I am guessing the new Level 3 certification will make the device an easier sell for RIM to its 1+ million US government BlackBerry users.

Check out the details below or at us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/products/smartcardreader/

BlackBerry Smart Card Reader Achieves Advanced Security Certification for U.S. Federal Government

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced today that the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader™ has achieved FIPS 140-2 certification level 3 – the highest certification achieved by any wireless smart card reader on the market. Smart cards support security programs like the U.S. Department of Defense’s Common Access Card (CAC) program and the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) which calls for a mandatory, government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification issued by the federal government to its employees and to the employees of federal contractors. FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certifications are assigned by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“Our customers value the robust security provided with BlackBerry products and services and smart card readers are particularly important within the government sector,” said Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Security at Research In Motion. “This advanced certification of the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader for the U.S. Federal Government demonstrates our ongoing commitment to meet and exceed the expectations of our government customers.”

The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader is designed to work with personal identification cards issued by government organizations or other high-security organizations. Users insert a smart card into this lightweight reader and wear it on a lanyard as a two-factor authentication device for secure access to BlackBerry smartphones, desktop computers and facilities.  BlackBerry smartphones and desktop computers automatically lock when the user’s smart card is not in proximity.

FIPS 140-2 level 3 certification of the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader also verifies advanced security features of the smart card reader itself, such as tamper evidence and self destruction of critical security parameters upon device breach.

For more information, see   http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/products/smartcardreader/.

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RIM Explains PlayBook FIPS Government Certification & More

 

The BlackBerry PlayBook became the first and only FIPS US government certified tablet this month which is a pretty big milestone for RIM. While their smartphones are certified RIM has already had the BlackBerry PlayBook cryptographic kernel certified for government use which opens up the doors for the biggest tech consumer in the US to purchase them.

RIM has thankfully posted a video interview with Michael K. Brown, Director of Security Product Management at RIM, to explain a bit about what FIPS certification is and why it is so important. He also explains why this kind of security certification is essential for government clients alongside healthcare and financial clients. Check out the video below including the golf carts driving by in the background…

Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

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BlackBerry PlayBook Becomes First US Government FIPS Certified Tablet

This is a huge first for RIM. They just got their BlackBerry PlayBook on the short list as the only US federal government certified tablet with FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certification. This certification from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) is required by the 2002 FISMA Act. Kudos to the RIM team for making this happen so fast. Usually FIPS certification takes ages and many devices don’t pass muster.

Check out the press release after the jump:

BlackBerry PlayBook Becomes First Tablet Certified for U.S. Government
BlackBerry PlayBook Wins ‘Best in Show’ Award at FOSE 2011

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced today that it has received FIPS 140-2 certification for the new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, making the BlackBerry PlayBook the first tablet certified for deployment within U.S. federal government agencies. No other tablet on the market has gained FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certification from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is required under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA).

“RIM is pleased to announce that the BlackBerry PlayBook is the first tablet approved under FIPS for use within the U.S. federal government,” said Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Security at Research In Motion. “This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organizations and enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information.”

BlackBerry PlayBook is a powerful, ultra-portable tablet that fits comfortably in one hand. It has a stunning 7-inch high resolution display, offers true multi-tasking capabilities and a high-fidelity web experience. It also allows for secure pairing with BlackBerry® smartphones via the BlackBerry® Bridge™ app, which enables users to access their BlackBerry smartphone’s email, calendar, address book, memo pad, task list, BBM (BlackBerry® Messenger) and browsing functionality using the larger display on the tablet.

The FIPS-certified BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is being showcased this week in Washington DC at FOSE – the largest Federal government information technology conference in the U.S. – where BlackBerry PlayBook has just been awarded Best in Show, and also Best of FOSE in the Handheld Devices category.

More information about the BlackBerry PlayBook is available at www.blackberry.com/playbook.

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