BlackBerry Launches New Ransomware Recovery Solution

Next-gen BlackBerry Workspaces with precise recovery capability minimizes business disruption

LAS VEGAS, BLACK HAT USA 2018 – August 6, 2018 – BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced its next-generation BlackBerry Workspaces content collaboration platform, featuring a new ransomware recovery capability that allows organizations to quickly recover from cyberattacks.

Despite even the best precautions an organization can take, ransomware attacks will still happen. Ransomware attacks were the most common type of malware in 2017,¹ and it’s projected that, by the end of 2019, a business will be hit by a ransomware attack every 14 seconds with the resulting damage costs predicted to reach $11.5B annually.²

BlackBerry’s new ransomware recovery feature helps organizations contain and limit the damage of ransomware attacks by freezing the accounts of affected users should their PC computers and synced files become infected. Most ransomware recovery solutions enforce a companywide rollback, meaning even users whose systems were not impacted may lose data. With BlackBerry Workspaces, the administrator can check user logs to pinpoint exactly what workspaces, folders and files have been affected, and selectively roll impacted files back to pre-attack versions and without restrictions on how far back it can recover. The ability to precisely remove just the infected files helps organizations avoid the loss of work and productivity that often come with system-wide recovery mechanisms.

“Beyond data loss, opportunity costs, and reputational risks, downtime resulting from ransomware attacks can inflict real harm on customers in any industry, including healthcare or public safety, where the consequences of any delay can be catastrophic,” said Billy Ho, Executive Vice President of Enterprise Products, BlackBerry. “Organizations need to have a strong culture of security to minimize the risk of an attack – something that our Cybersecurity Consulting team has been supporting for the last several years. And in a worst-case scenario, it’s critical that organizations also have a layered defense model in place and an enterprise technology stack that is designed with the inevitable breach in mind.”

The new ransomware recovery feature will be available in the BlackBerry Workspaces Collaborate and Secure Plus editions at no additional cost. BlackBerry will be demonstrating this new solution at the 2018 BlackBerry Security Summits in London on September 12 and New York City on October 4. To register and view a full agenda for the BlackBerry Security Summits, please visit www.BlackBerry.com/SecuritySummit.

Connected endpoints in the Enterprise of Things (EoT) have transformed how companies work, deliver goods and services and solve problems, but they also leave companies vulnerable to cyberattacks. BlackBerry helps protect organizations from ransomware with various secure software offerings, including BlackBerry Workspaces, partnerships and deep integration with several mobile threat detection application vendors, and cybersecurity expertise through BlackBerry Cybersecurity Consulting, which offers a ransomware readiness assessment to help organizations review their threat landscapes and design cybersecurity strategies to mitigate attacks. To learn more about BlackBerry and EoT, please visit www.blackberry.com.  

Editor’s Note:

• On Tuesday, August 21, BlackBerry will be hosting a webinar to provide a step-by-step demonstration of the new BlackBerry Workspaces with ransomware recovery. Interested participants can register here to attend.

 

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is an enterprise software and services company focused on securing and managing IoT endpoints. The company does this with BlackBerry Secure, an end-to-end Enterprise of Things platform, comprised of its enterprise communication and collaboration software and safety-certified embedded solutions.

Based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry was founded in 1984 and operates in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The Company trades under the ticker symbol "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information visit BlackBerry.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About Black Hat

For more than 20 years, Black Hat has provided attendees with the very latest in information security research, development, and trends. These high-profile global events and trainings are driven by the needs of the security community, striving to bring together the best minds in the industry. Black Hat inspires professionals at all career levels, encouraging growth and collaboration among academia, world-class researchers, and leaders in the public and private sectors. Black Hat Briefings and Trainings are held annually in the United States, Europe and Asia. More information is available at: blackhat.com. Black Hat is organized by UBM plc. UBM is the largest pure-play B2B Events organizer in the world. Our 3,750+ people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors. Our deep knowledge and passion for these sectors allow us to create valuable experiences which enable our customers to succeed. Please visit www.ubm.com for the latest news and information about UBM.

Media Relations:
BlackBerry
(519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com

Investor Relations:
BlackBerry
(519) 888-7465
investorinfo@blackberry.com

BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

 

¹ Verizon 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report
² Cybersecurity Ventures