WTF! Blackberry Enterprise Server

[Domboski]

Is it true that my employer can read my text and blackberry messages since my phone is connected to the BES?

I found some info on the net that suggested yes. That would be incredibely sickening. Especially since I pay for my own phone and service!

Any insights would be appreciated.

 

[nanchil]

I heard the same thing some time back. But couldn't prove it though.

 

[Killerdrgn]

Is it true that my employer can read my text and blackberry messages since my phone is connected to the BES?

I found some info on the net that suggested yes. That would be incredibely sickening. Especially since I pay for my own phone and service!

Any insights would be appreciated.

I wouldn't doubt it. Cell phone are not encrypted or anything so technically anyone that has the resources and will to can read/hear your conversations. Ah-hem big brother. But you need to ask your company on what the policy really is, they should pretty much tell you to your face if they're monitoring conversations. Or even keeping logs of calls, etc.

 

[Tangs Rule]

I believe your company is allowed to do that.

 

[inkblue]

:shhh: no cYber seX

 

[Deanos]

Blackberry Forums FAQ

Excerpt:
Can a BES administrator read my PIN and/or SMS messages and see my phone call logs?

Yes, if the BES is version 4.1 or newer and the device is o/s code 4.1 or later. - Starting with BES 4.1, the BES admin can log all PIN and SMS messages to the BES server, including the content of those messages.
BlackBerry Messenger messages and conversations can also be audited by the BES administrator.
In addition the administrator can view all phone calls made/received to the device including date/time number dialled and the name of the person you are calling or have called you if that name is listed in your contact list

 

[latino277]

I will try and check with one of my co-workers. He is a BES admin for our firm

 

[latino277]

OK... What deem posted is 100% true (What a surprise ) If the company had full logging enable on the BES 4.X environment..... they can see everything. The good thing (from my understading) is that the data would have to be fished out of log files (not something most IT people like doing.... Kind of a P.I.T.A.).

 

[Killerdrgn]

OK... What deem posted is 100% true (What a surprise ) If the company had full logging enable on the BES 4.X environment..... they can see everything. The good thing (from my understading) is that the data would have to be fished out of log files (not something most IT people like doing.... Kind of a P.I.T.A.).

It's not true, that it'll be a P.I.T.A., in all cases to fish out all the necessary data. You'd have to ask for company policy again in this case. If they say something like yeah they monitor usage, abuse, and junk then they probably already have filters (or automated process) for the log files. If it's something like they reserve the right to monitor, blah blah blah, then its more than likely it's just sitting in logs. Which at that point you'd have to find out how big those logs are and what the retention policy is.

 

[Domboski]

I already did the Internet search and saw what Blackberry had listed for its potential to view mobile devices connected to the BES. It just seemed to be a bit vague at what level of view my employer can have. From what I gather from the posts here and what I read online is that it's not as simple as "lets see what Dom was doing today". My boss (who happens to be the owner) would have to manually scroll through the log files UNLESS he purchased software dedicated to monitoring / filtering the log files. Does this seem right?

 

[Deanos]

Sounds right

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Big Brother is always watching.

 

[Domboski]

Ok Cool. So unless my boss wants an excuse to fire me he probably can care less what I am doing. :biglaugh:

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Pretty much if they wanna get you this is one of the ways they do it. Don't do anything messed up and you should be fine. You pay for your own phone?

 

[Domboski]

Yes. If I didn't I wouldn't care because I would have assumed the risk. It was a little shockng to find out that I pay a lot for the phone and my company gets all of the benefits (contact me whenever they want, browse my personal messages, etc). I figured they could check my work email but it never dawned on me they could check my text messages.

 

[Killerdrgn]

I figured they could check my work email but it never dawned on me they could check my text messages.

So are you sending naughty texts and pics? Is that why your concerned?:shhh:

 

[Domboski]

I had my office manager check the status of our BES and this was her response "I talked to Luis from "IT Vendor" and he said our system is NOT set to track any of our im, emails, text. He said he knows this for sure."

LOL. I'm usually not one to get paranoid about being watched but it is scary how easy it is becoming for people to know your business.

 

[Domboski]

So are you sending naughty texts and pics? Is that why your concerned?:shhh:

I do not recall.......:tongue1:

 

[Widdy]

In order for PIN/SMS logging to be enabled, it has to be pushed down by a security policy. Do you have a security policy on your Blackberry?

Options -> Security Options -> General Settings

 

[Domboski]

I do not see anything called security policy on that screen. There is security timeout though that says 2 min. There is something under services that says desktop but I assume that is the BES.