DOD approves derived credentials on BlackBerrys -- GCN

DOD approves derived credentials on BlackBerrys

By Mark Pomerleau
Jul 28, 2015

The Department of Defense has recently approved derived public key infrastructure (PKI) credentials for BlackBerry devices running OS 7 and higher as well as BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 and higher.

This announcement lets BlackBerry users access, manage and share information without using a Common Access Card. The CAC serves as an additional barrier and security measure for users to authenticate their identity to access information on the military’s network.

A memo from then-acting DOD CIO Terry Halvorsen first provided interim guidance on PKI and personal identity verification in September 2014, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology issued guidelines for the use of derived credentials in December 2014. A May 2015 update from Halvorsen's office provided additional details on the "technical and administrative processes" required "[u]ntil the automated provisioning is available later in 2015."

About the Author

Mark Pomerleau is a former editorial fellow with GCN and Defense Systems.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Russia prying into state, local networks

A Russian state-sponsored advanced persistent threat actor targeting state, local, territorial and tribal government networks exfiltrated data from at least two victims.
Using AVs to tell friend from foe

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking for ways autonomous vehicles can make it easier for commanders to detect and track threats among civilians in complex urban environments without escalating tensions.