RIM beats Apple – on security

News that BlackBerry smartphones are the most secure devices available today doesn't come as much of a surprise. The challenge for Research In Motion will lie in using it to score points with enterprise buyers and turn around its crashing market share.

Trend Micro partnered with analysts from Altimeter Group and Bloor Research on a just-released report that compared major mobile platforms from Apple, Google, RIM and Microsoft and rated them based on a series of factors such as built-in security, application security, device and data protection, authentication, device wipe, device firewall, certifications, and virtualization.

When the numbers were in, BlackBerry's rating of 2.89 was significantly ahead of Apple's iOS (1.7), Microsoft's Windows Phone (1.61), and Google's Android (1.37).

The news couldn't come soon enough for beleaguered RIM, and follows on the heels of the company's announcement that it would refocus its efforts on the enterprise market. With security consistently topping IT decision-makers' wish lists for mobile devices, a solid showing here gives the company some much needed traction with a critical audience.

Security depends who you are

The report lauds BlackBerry devices for what Trend Micro calls their "corporate-grade security and manageability". BlackBerrys deployed and managed through RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server were singled out for allowing corporate IT to control devices at a granular level.

But the news wasn't all good for RIM. The analysis chided the company for making its most secure features available only to users whose devices are configured corporately using a BES. It's quite a different story for the broader consumer market, as devices purchased by consumers and small businesses through their carriers use the BlackBerry Internet Services, or BIS, for connectivity. Compared to BES-based devices, BIS users may not have the same level of protection.

"Some of the strongest features restricting high-risk activities that users may undertake, such as removal of password protection for the device, may be rendered inactive if a user's device is not provisioned via the BES," the report concludes.

The analysis also focused on devices based on the BlackBerry 7 operating system. New devices using the next-generation OS, BlackBerry 10, are expected to hit the market in the second half of this year. Enterprise buyers who've gotten used to RIM's particular way of maintaining mobile security may face a learning curve when the new products hit the market.

The bar keeps rising

Quibbles aside, RIM's performance echoes a mobile market where some players have upped their security game, while others still have room for improvement.

Apple iOS-based devices were praised for having no provisions for removable storage — a common source of data leakage — as well as BlackBerry-like IT administrator control over what can and cannot be installed on the handset.

Its strict controls over application development were also cited for the way they ensure stability, performance, and security. The report also noted how far iOS has come since its 2007 introduction. Initially released primarily to a consumer audience, Apple's mobile operating system had no corporate management capability whatsoever at the time.

After a number of high-profile breaches, including one where a game developer surreptitiously programmed its software to copy the user's unencrypted contact database and send it to the development company's website, Apple introduced a number of enterprise-friendly management features for iOS-based devices. The report now praises Apple for balancing individual and corporate needs.

Microsoft's relatively new Windows Phone was lauded for a policy-based approach to security that aligns nicely with security processes already in place in most IT shops. Google's Android was criticized for a fractured hardware environment and a non-centralized software distribution model that hinders availability of critical patches and updates and leaves affected handhelds more vulnerable in the interim.

Eroding corporate influence

As positive as this research is to RIM's prospects, it underscores the company's challenge in recapturing an enterprise audience that once viewed the BlackBerry as an unassailable security standard. The trend away from centralized, fleet-based corporate buying toward a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) culture represents a significant roadblock to RIM, as its traditional fans no longer hold the same degree of influence they once did. RIM is hardly alone, as this issue touches all mobile vendors. But the company's shift back to its enterprise roots could make it particularly vulnerable.

"The continuing explosion of BYOD coupled with the consumerization of IT continues to make every mobile device a risk to business," said Trend Micro Canada General Manager Jim Short in a statement. "While some mobile devices manufacturers provide enterprise grade security capability, organizations need to protect their valuable data regardless of the device their employees choose to use."

The security narrative itself has also taken a back seat to other performance criteria, such as usability and app support. The BlackBerry may very well be the most secure player in town, but that may no longer be enough for RIM to work its way back from the brink.

Carmi Levy is a London, Ont.-based independent technology analyst and journalist. The opinions expressed are his own. carmilevy@yahoo.ca