[jibi]

I'm not sure if this has been posted or not yet (I didn't come up with anything).

Research In Motion has announced a new BlackBerry Smart Card Reader that will allow users to verify themselves through advanced AES-256 encryption. The reader will use Bluetooth to send the verification from the wearable smart card reader to the Blackberry device.

The smart card reader includes support for various government and corporate security requirements such as the US Department of Defense’s Common Access Card (CAC). Also included is support for S/MIME which can be used with the S/MIME Support Package v4.0 for BlackBerry.

“The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader combines the convenience of short-range Bluetooth connectivity with the advanced and proven security features of the BlackBerry architecture including the use of AES-based encryption and the ability for IT administrators to set policies to remotely manage the smart card reader like any other asset on the network,” said Scott Totzke, Director of Government Technology at RIM.

The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader is scheduled for Beta release in July of 2005.

Looks like it could be a good sign of future things from RIM utilizing BT.

[jibi]

...and the press release from RIM:

Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the BlackBerry® Smart Card Reader™, a lightweight, wearable smart card reader that enables controlled access to BlackBerry devices using Bluetooth technology and advanced AES-256 encryption. The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader is scheduled for Beta release in July 2005.

The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader is a wearable peripheral that is FIPS 140-2 validated and can be used to comply with certain government or corporate security requirements by enabling two-factor authentication for BlackBerry devices and applications. The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader provides support for a variety of industry standard smart cards including the US Department of Defense's Common Access Card (CAC). The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader also supports S/MIME and can be used in conjunction with the S/MIME Support Package v4.0 for BlackBerry.

“BlackBerry is the leading wireless data platform for government organizations and the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader will be an attractive choice for those organizations that require smart card support and want a less bulky and more user-friendly solution,” said Don Morrison, Chief Operating Officer at RIM.

“The BlackBerry Smart Card Reader combines the convenience of short-range Bluetooth connectivity with the advanced and proven security features of the BlackBerry architecture including the use of AES-based encryption and the ability for IT administrators to set policies to remotely manage the smart card reader like any other asset on the network,” said Scott Totzke, Director of Government Technology at RIM.

SRA International Inc. is a service provider and strategic consulting firm that will work with RIM to deploy the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader within government organizations.

“Security is a top priority for our government clients, and the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader will offer a secure mobile experience for public sector organizations using smart cards for identification and authentication, such as the Department of Defense Common Access Card,” said Jean-Paul Boucher, Director of Wireless Integration Services at SRA International, Inc. (NYSE: SRX) “Previous solutions to enable wireless smart card access are often cumbersome. We are excited to be able to provide our clients with this small, easy-to-implement solution.”

[Tom]

Good Stuff Go RIM

[huige mobile]

thks very much

[justin.culp]

I've been testing one of these in the Department of Defense for a few months now....it's been performing fine.

http://www.blackberryforums.com/gene...rt+card+reader

One thing that does bother us is the fact that you cannot use this same reader to login to your computer....we have to take our CAC's out (I know how it sounds ) and put them in other readers to login to our machines.

That is my only gripe.

[kevdlang1]

Actually if you upgrade software on the reader to v1.5 and on your handheld it gives you the option to logon with the bluetooth reader via the usb cable.

[toddz]

I recently received a BlackBerry Smart Card Reader and was testing it for ease of use and functionality. It arrived with an older revision of firmware, so I updated the software/firmware to version 1.5. Once installed, I began testing it with a BlackBerry which had no issues connecting or passing information. Then I tried to connect it with the PC and that is where the trouble began. The first issue was that the BlackBerry SCR software will only work with the Microsoft bluetooth stack. That means that I had to uninstall the Widcomm (Broadcom) drivers and find one of the few XP SP2 supported BT USB dongles. Luckily I remembered that I had an old Microsoft BT mouse and it came with a dongle. Uninstalled Widcomm, plugged in the Microsoft BT dongle, and try again. This time, the SCR software started up and I clicked the Connect button under the General tab. The software then requests the Reader ID, Bluetooth Pairing Key, and Secure Pairing Key, followed bythe Connection Password. Once I enter the password and click OK, a Failed Connection Attempt dialog box appears with the error "Unable to connect to the specified BlackBerry Smart Card Reader". I have since tried multiple computers and supported BT dongles to no avail. If anyone has got this working I would appreciate the information on what worked for you.

Thanks,
toddz

BB SC Reader
Platform - 1.5.0.61
Apps - 4.2.0.58
Crypto - 3.8.4.28