Network Admin Guru's with Blackberrys

[TTQ B4U]

For the past number of years the company I work for allowed blackberry's and iPhones without issue and offered us the option of going on the BB Server or just having our email forwarded to an outside email that we could then use on our own personal devices.

 

That's going to stop now and the only way we are going to be allowed to use email on our BB's is to go on the company BB Server plan and activating our devices through them.

 

By doing so on my personal BB am I opening the door for them to see ALL of my personal emails using my own personal email addresses? What about text messages or incoming, outgoing calls?

 

Overall since they don't provide the device and it's mine, I'm hesitant if it's going to allow them more visibility over my use of my own phone and emails.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[excell]

If you're setting up personal email accounts separately from the BlackBerry server hosting your business email, no, your personal emails, call data, etc. are safe from the company. If you route your personal email to the company for use on the BlackBerry then yes they will have access to your personal email.

 

Something to consider, with your BlackBerry under their control they could deactivate and lock the whole thing at any moment which would render the unit inoperable until the situation is resolved. Depending on how the usage policy is worded it may be completely legal as well. They could also deploy applications and other settings that could be used to poach your data, but this is malicious and unexpected.

 

How much risk are you willing to endure for the convenience of business email, and how important is your personal data if it was compromised?

[Putty]

I can handle this. I activate BBs for my company.

 

Here is how it works. Your company will have the ability of dropping a policy on your phone. This means they can prevent you from downloading app or even adding additional email accts such as Yahoo, Gmail, etc. Our default policy does just this. We have exceptions to that rule though. I have the ability to temporarily unlock a device to allow a person to get updates or download an app that's needed. At any time I can totally wipe the device or see all the apps that are on it directly from the BES. I cannot see any data that is on the device though. So no, they can't see any pics, emails, notes or anything like that you may have. Once this policy is on your phone. No carrier can do anything to the device. It's locked in a sense. If you ever leave this company you have to be sure to get your personal device policy pushed back to vendor default or it's pretty much no good. Unless you know JL commander and can set it back. Carriers will not attempt this and always tells the cust to take the phone back to the company and have policy removed.

[smokin5s]

As long as your txt's / personal emails going route through the BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) then you are safe

 

btw, make sure to change your browser setting to internet browser instead of blackberry browser... Also make sure that the BES server isn't pushing down policies onto your device because that could lock you out of functions that you previously could do.

[AWW$HEEET]

I built our BES and it is a gigantic piece of shit. If it were my own personal device, I would not connect to the server, unless you dont care about what sort of policies they run on it.

 

There are several options in the security settings to lock device, wipe handheld, etc. I would ask for a second device honestly, and use that one to connect.

[Akula]

You don't need to fear them seeing your personal email. Its when you leave, the policies make it so you have to master-reset the phone to hook to another BES.

[TTQ B4U]

Thanks guys. I understand what you're saying. FWIW, I'm going to pass on company email then. I would like it and of course it would make life easier, especially since I'm in sales, but in the end, if the company sees it as important to my role, then I will just pose the business case that they need to buy me a seperate device. I have enough drama in my life and want to keep my personal device 110% under my control. The way I see it, I'm letting them forward company email to my device. If they choose to stop forwarding, then that's their call.

[Richard Cranium]

What about forwarding the company email to your personal account? Maybe even create a separate Gmail account to forward work email too. That way you can keep getting business emails and personal emails without connecting to their server.

[TTQ B4U]

What about forwarding the company email to your personal account? Maybe even create a separate Gmail account to forward work email too. That way you can keep getting business emails and personal emails without connecting to their server.

 

That's what we all do now but they are shutting down that feature. I understand all the security concerns, etc...I went through this with another company. However it sucks no matter how you slice it. Mainly because they don't want to supply us with BB's. Even today there are a handful of people that just don't do a hand-held email.

 

I really think one of my new years resolutions is going to be NOT to do BB email too. I personally prefer a phone call. I get 100+ emails per day as it is. To me it's a cheap way of people assigning tasks and deferring shit off to me anyway. Grow a pair and call me so I can so no in person.

 

I think in today's world it gotten to a point where when people send an email they assume it goes on your to-do list for that day automatically. NOT.