I consider myself as fairly knowledgeable when it comes to PC security. I'm familiar with most major PC security software vendors, their products, and in general how their products work and what they do. I must admit I know extremely little about Blackberry security, and it bothers me.

My concern is not with viruses (I understand there are none that affect the BB), but instead with what are called (I believe) Trojans in the PC world. Specifically, how can I know that what I think is a friendly add-on application is not instead quietly stealing data from my BB and sending it somewhere while it performs it's advertised duties? On a PC I can use, if I wanted to, a packet-sniffer and see exactly what data is being sent out by an application. Do I just need to have faith in these add-on applications?

1. Are apps in Blackberry App World checked out by RIM for things like this before they post the app to their site?

2. If I disable "Connections" (where it does not disable the app), does that completely disallow that application from communicating with entities outside my BB? (WiFi, Email, Text, etc.)

3. If I am using Password Keeper, can an application get access to data inside PK when I have PK opened (unlocked)?

4. What general precautions do security-minded folks take to limit their exposure while taking advantage of BB's many features?

5. Is there a reputable web site / thread where people document apps they have found that are malicious in some way? I usually read every app review in detail before installing, looking specifically for stuff like this, but I'm not sure every user posts their review or findings for every app they use.

Any suggestions / comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

There are no known BB viruses or malicious apps out there (yet) and most of us consider it a waste of money trying to stop them. If there were any problems you would see and hear it loud and clear from all outlets. Not something I say awake and worry over. The BB is not as susceptible as a PC, its more like a Mac.

That is what I would hope for. But how would someone discover an app is "phoning-home" behind the scenes? How can one see what IP connections are being made from an app? Who is watching for this stuff?
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There is a long running discussion thread on security in this section. I suggest you read through that and see if it answers your questions and concerns.