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Obama's BlackBerry Security Strategy

Category: , , By PK

When Barack Obama famously refused to relinquish his treasured BlackBerry, he became the first president in American history to use email while in office. He will also be the first to have to worry about personal internet security.

The president's new BlackBerry is a special modified variation with top-notch encryption features—further details are not being shared with the media. Vice President Joe Biden and other key officials have also been given this most limited of limited edition devices.

But is it Really Hacker-Proof?

But famed hacker Kevin Mitnick says that despite its special security features, no BlackBerry is impossible to compromise. In an interview with Fox News, Mitnick said "It's a long shot, but it's possible. You'd probably need to be pretty sophisticated, but there's people out there who are."

According to Mitnick, who is credited with hacking Motorola, Nokia, Sun Microsystems, FBI, and Pentagon networks (among many others,) the best course of action for a hacker would probably be to infiltrate the personal computer of somebody close to Obama. Then, the hacker would have to use that person's identity to divert Obama to a compromised website that would upload malicious code onto the BlackBerry.


The Most Exclusive List in Washington


That's precisely why the president's security team is keeping his email address such a closely guarded secret. Obama will also have to frequently change his email address.

Who exactly has this address is unknown, but the number is believed to be considerably less than 50, with Biden, advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, press secretary Robert Gibbs, and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel almost certainly at the top of the list. Beyond that, one can only guess: top supporter Oprah Winfrey, secretary of state Hillary Clinton, celebrity email buddy Scarlet Johanson, DNC chair Tim Kaine? One can only speculate.

If any of our readers are on the list, please let us know so we can send him our suggestions on the economy...
 

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