The government has formally informed telecom companies that security agencies can start intercept Black-Berry Messenger (BBM) Services with effect from January 8.
However, Canada-based BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) maintains that it does not have the key to provide interception of its Blackberry Enterprises Service (BES), used mainly by corporates, to security agencies.
RIM claims that BES allows customers to create their own security keys which it cannot access. The company also claims that there are no backdoor tricks to crack the encryption.
RIM had been asked by the government to provide resolution and Web browsing requirements for both BES and BBM in consultation with telecom companies to enable legal interception of these services by security agencies.
BBM is an Internet-based instant messenger application that allows messaging between BlackBerry users.
“We wish to underscore once again that this enablement of lawful access does not extend to BlackBerry Enterprise Server. All of BlackBerry’s largest operators in India have already achieved full compliance,” an RIM spokesman told.
Telecom secretary R. Chandrashekhar said that the Department of Telecommunications has been regularly communicating with telecom operators on this issue.
“I cannot specifically recall about the latest communication to operators on the BlackBerry issue but we have been regularly communicating with operators,” said Chandrashekhar.
All major telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Tata Teleservices, had agreed last year to share real-time interception of BlackBerry calls and data services on their networks with security agencies to meet the December 31, 2012, deadline.
“In that case, we have no problem to begin formal interception of BBM services now. We are hopefully free from any technical glitches and we have got our system tuned as per requirements of security agencies, who want real time access to BlackBerry services,” said a top executive of a leading telecom company.
However, Canada-based BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) maintains that it does not have the key to provide interception of its Blackberry Enterprises Service (BES), used mainly by corporates, to security agencies.
RIM claims that BES allows customers to create their own security keys which it cannot access. The company also claims that there are no backdoor tricks to crack the encryption.
RIM had been asked by the government to provide resolution and Web browsing requirements for both BES and BBM in consultation with telecom companies to enable legal interception of these services by security agencies.
BBM is an Internet-based instant messenger application that allows messaging between BlackBerry users.
“We wish to underscore once again that this enablement of lawful access does not extend to BlackBerry Enterprise Server. All of BlackBerry’s largest operators in India have already achieved full compliance,” an RIM spokesman told.
Telecom secretary R. Chandrashekhar said that the Department of Telecommunications has been regularly communicating with telecom operators on this issue.
“I cannot specifically recall about the latest communication to operators on the BlackBerry issue but we have been regularly communicating with operators,” said Chandrashekhar.
All major telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Tata Teleservices, had agreed last year to share real-time interception of BlackBerry calls and data services on their networks with security agencies to meet the December 31, 2012, deadline.
“In that case, we have no problem to begin formal interception of BBM services now. We are hopefully free from any technical glitches and we have got our system tuned as per requirements of security agencies, who want real time access to BlackBerry services,” said a top executive of a leading telecom company.
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