Skip to main content

Sony pulled out its ancient BlackBerry phones to get work done during hack

blackberry classic hands on 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Sony made it through a massive hack this December and ended 2014 on a high note, as The Interview earned the company $15 million in online sales over the holiday weekend. Now that the company is in the clear, new details about how Sony coped during the assault on its servers and email system have emerged. It turns out that Sony dusted off its old BlackBerry phones to handle internal email and communications securely, the Wall Street Journal revealed.

Prior to digging the BlackBerry phones out of storage boxes, Sony used notepads, Gmail, and other unsecured phones to communicate. The BlackBerry phones proved to be one of the few secure channels Sony could use at the time because BlackBerrys operate on their own secure server. Each user’s data is encrypted and secured on their BlackBerry device. Meanwhile, BlackBerry’s own servers work to secure the data for its clients.

Recommended Videos

BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen was quick to tout the security of his company’s systems, though he declined to say whether Sony could have avoided the hack had it remained a BlackBerry client.

“It’s proven that BlackBerry devices and the server are a lot more secure than any other solutions out there commercially available,” Chen told CNBC in mid-December.

BlackBerry’s security remains its biggest selling point, as the company’s global smartphone market share dropped to less than 1 percent in recent years. Most recently, BlackBerry has worked to expand its enterprise business, while cooking up classic QWERTY keyboard phones for the BlackBerry faithful.

Topics
Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
The best tablets in 2024: top 8 tablets you can buy now
Disney+ app on the iPad Air 5.

Tired of squinting at your phone, even though it's one of the best? A tablet might be the perfect solution. But with a dizzying array of options available, finding the right one can be tough. That's why we've reviewed the top contenders, from budget-friendly picks to professional-grade powerhouses, and compiled a list of the 11 best tablets for 2024.

Our top choice, the iPad Air (2024), delivers exceptional performance and value. But we understand that your needs might be different. Whether you're looking for an affordable option, a travel-friendly companion, a massive 14.6-inch screen for immersive entertainment, a productivity workhorse, or even a niche e-ink tablet, we've got recommendations for you. Don't settle for anything less than the perfect tablet. Check out our expert buying guide to find your ideal match.

Read more
Everything you need to know about the OnePlus 13
Official OnePlus 13 product renders showing rear panel colors.

OnePlus is an excellent brand that offers powerful flagship phones at a great value compared to some of its competitors. We followed every rumor about the OnePlus 13 for months, but now it's here — and it's everything we hoped for. It might not be available in the Western market yet, but it will be soon.

So, what makes the OnePlus 13 so special? Here's everything you need to know about OnePlus' latest flagship.
When is the OnePlus 13 being released?

Read more
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. MediaTek Dimensity 9400: the race is on
Comparison of Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and MediaTek Dimensity 9400 processors.

The flagship mobile silicon race has entered its next phase, one that will dictate the trajectory of Android hardware heading into 2025. Merely weeks after MediaTek wowed us with the Dimensity 9400 system on a chip (SoC), Qualcomm also pulled a surprise with the reveal of the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

But this time around, the battle is not as straightforward. Where MediaTek is working closely with Arm and adopting its latest CPU and graphics innovations, Qualcomm has firmly put its faith in custom cores. These are no ordinary cores, but a next-gen iteration of the same fundamental tech stack that powers Windows on ARM laptops.

Read more