Installation guide

BlackBerry Enterprise Solution Security

BlackBerry symmetric key encryption algorithms 13

When a user sends a message from the BlackBerry device, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server does not encrypt the

message when it forwards the message to the message recipient unless the user installs additional secure

messaging technology on the BlackBerry device and you have enabled the BlackBerry device to use that secure

messaging technology to extend the messaging security. See “Extending BlackBerry device messaging security”

on page 16 for more information.

Standard BlackBerry message encryption process

When a user sends a message from the BlackBerry device, the BlackBerry device and BlackBerry Enterprise

Server use symmetric key cryptography to encrypt and decrypt the message, using the following process:

1. The BlackBerry device compresses the message.

2. The BlackBerry device encrypts the message using the message key.

3. The BlackBerry device encrypts the message key using the master encryption key, which is unique to that

BlackBerry device.

4. The BlackBerry device sends the encrypted message key and the encrypted message.

5. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server receives the encrypted message key and the encrypted message from the

BlackBerry device.

6. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server decrypts the message key using the BlackBerry device master encryption

key.

7. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server decrypts the message using the message key.

8. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server decompresses the message, and then forwards the message to the

intended recipient.

When a user receives a message, the following occurs:

1. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server receives the message.

2. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server compresses the message.

3. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server encrypts the message using the message key.

4. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server encrypts the message key using the user’s BlackBerry device master

encryption key.

5. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server sends the encrypted message and the encrypted message key to the user’s

BlackBerry device.

6. The BlackBerry device receives the encrypted message and the encrypted message key.

7. The BlackBerry device decrypts the message key using the master encryption key, which is unique to that

BlackBerry device.

8. The BlackBerry device decrypts the message using the message key.

9. The BlackBerry device decompresses the message, rendering it readable by the user.