In a bid to put more focus on digital privacy, BlackBerry has announced BBM Protected support for Android and iOS. This will allow those smartphone owners to access a more secure enterprise-based version of its BBM messaging service.
Earlier BBM protect was only accessible through Blackberry devices but now devices running Android and iOS can also use the feature. BBM Protected for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry phones uses encryption keys which are generated by the communicating mobile devices themselves. It is part of the BBM Protected IM service which offers the standard IM app-like features along with boosted security.
To use the service one can start a Protected conversation on the BBM Protect and even invite non-BBM protected users into the conversation, as long as they have the BBM app on their device. This feature is geared towards business users who once exclusively relied on BlackBerry hardware and software. BBM Protected is available for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, iPhone, and Android devices. Blackberry claims that their software will save the consumer from ‘man in the middle’ hacker attacks to provide greater security than other instant messaging apps present in the market.