Blackberry row: RIM offers conditional solution

Canada-based Research in Motion will pass on sensitive customer data to the Govt but with a condition that DoT takes responsibility in case of a loss or leakage of information.

In a new turn to the Blackberry row, the Canadian vendor of the service, Research in Motion (RIM), is understood to have agreed to pass on sensitive customer data to the government but with a condition that DoT takes responsibility in case of a loss to any user due to leakage of information.

HT Image

For any legal interception of data from Blackberry, the security agencies need to be in possession of "Public Key" (code of customers handset) and "Private Key" (company's code against that handset).

The encrypted data packets sent through Blackberry are password protected and could be deciphered only with the help of "Public Key" and "Private Key" together. The other provision is to build a super computer, which could take nearly three years and the results beyond a certain frequency were not guaranteed.

Canada-based RIM officials are believed to have asked the DoT to take the responsibility of being the custodian of the Private Keys and also to bear the consequences if their was a loss of essential data of the customers.

Since the Blackberry provided additional data security capabilities, including data encryption and decryption, digital signatures and data authentication, the customers are using the handset for their bank transactions and other money related matters.

RIM officials argued that there would be a chance where important codes were exchanged on the handset which could be leaked and therefore in case of such an act, the DoT should take the responsibility.