User guide

Encryption algorithms that the device supports for PGP
encryption
When you turn on PGP encryption, the default value of the PGP Allowed Content Ciphers IT policy rule specifies that a
BlackBerry device can use any of the following encryption algorithms to encrypt email messages and PIN messages:
AES-256, AES-192, AES-128, CAST-128, or Triple DES-168. You can change the value to use a subset of the encryption
algorithms if your organization’s security policies require it.
The PGP public key of the recipient indicates which encryption algorithm the recipient’s email application supports, and
the device is designed to use that encryption algorithm. By default, if the PGP public key of the recipient does not include a
list of encryption algorithms, the device encrypts the email message or PIN message using Triple DES.
Data flow: Sending an email message using PGP
encryption
If a sender installs the PGP Support Package for BlackBerry smartphones on a BlackBerry device, the device encrypts
outgoing email messages.
1. The device performs the following actions:
a uses the BlackBerry MDS Connection Service to retrieve the PGP public key of the recipient from the PGP Universal
Server or LDAP server
b encrypts the email message using the PGP public key of the recipient
c uses BlackBerry transport layer encryption to encrypt the PGP encrypted message
Security Technical Overview Extending messaging security to a device
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