BlackBerry inks deal with Bullitt to provide security tech to phones

BlackBerry is expanding its presence in the smartphone security business. While the company is known for its high level of security on its phones, BlackBerry has announced a new partnership with Bullitt Group to provide security for its phones, too.

You may not be familiar with Bullitt Group by name, but it is the company behind some of the more rugged phones on the market, including the Cat and Land Rover-branded phones. We’ve found that these phones are perhaps the strongest and most durable out there, despite the fact that they may not offer all the same features and power found on other flagship phones.

“With the rising threat of hacks and security breaches in mobile and connected IoT devices, it was important for us to find a partner that can help us keep pace with, and protect against, the fast-changing security challenges that concern our customers,” James Shannon, chief product officer of Bullitt Group, said in a statement.“By partnering with BlackBerry, we’re able to provide a level of security that will give our customers peace of mind when communicating and using their devices for business, or in their everyday lives.” 

For BlackBerry, making a phone more secure isn’t just about loading a few apps on the phone. BlackBerry Secure gets involved in the manufacturing process of the phone, injecting security keys used by the hardware and software to verify that it hasn’t been tampered with. On top of that, BlackBerry Secure, the security platform BlackBerry provides, fully encrypts the phone’s storage, and even provides monthly security updates — something that many other smartphone manufacturers can’t seem to handle. Last but not least, BlackBerry does provide a few pre-installed apps that are aimed at monitoring a phone’s security.

It’s likely that BlackBerry will be pursuing other relationships for BlackBerry Secure, too. Earlier in 2018, the company announced a partnership with Swiss company Punkt, before which it announced a similar partnership with Chinese company NTD. We don’t expect that BlackBerry will team up with any Samsung or LG-size companies anytime soon, but as the company expands its portfolio, it may well prove that its security techniques are worth adopting.

We’re not sure exactly when BlackBerry security tech will show up on Cat or Land Rover phones, but it will probably feature on whatever phones the companies release next.