[arishamron]

I sure hope somebody can help me with a couple questions.

I have a personal phone (not company-owned) on Verizon. I've been worried, recently, about a couple of things.

(1) When I look at my Gmail account on my desktop computer, I have been noticing several "strange" mobile (RIM) IP addresses listed as accessing my Gmail at times when my BlackBerry is turned off. I'm in a hospital and I have to turn over my BlackBerry during "sleeping hours," so I'm not sure if some nurse is playing with it during the overnight shift OR if somebody from outside (maybe my employer, who is NOT authorized to do so) is checking my email from another location. I know that my IP address on the BlackBerry isn't static (i.e. it can change), but I am absolutely certain that I'm not accessing Gmail at those hours.

(2) Is it possible for somebody (like my employer) to illegally "ping" my BlackBerry to determine my physical location? Remember, I have Verizon, so my GPS is not activated (although I did purchase their GPS service).

(3) Is it possible (as above) for anyone to monitor what I'm looking at when I access the Web from my BlackBerry?

I apologize for having to solicit this help, but I've got nobody else to turn to on these questions. Thanks in advance!

[djm2]

Welcome to the forum.

If anything is going on, I suspect that it is someone at the hospital playing with it during off hours. Option 2 is not really credible, and monitoring on BIS is highly unlikely unless someone has loaded software onto the phone.

Recommendation: Enable a reasonably complex password and make sure it is locked when turned over to hospital staff.

[kirrinjones]

Wirelessly posted

1. Nope. My guess is that your phone is in stand-by mode and still does checks for your e-mails. The phone is only off when the battery is out. The changing IP address could be the RIM network.

2. Not your employer (unless you're on their BES). Or unless you have Google Maps or some other app installed.

3. Not that I'm aware of.

We're all here to help you out.

[arishamron]

Thanks....how do I find out if my phone is in "stand-by mode" and if so, disable it? Also, I DO have the Verizon Wireless GPS app installed - would that make it possible for them to "ping" me?

[kirrinjones]

Wirelessly posted

Your employee would have no way (that I know of) of pinging you if you're not on their BES server.

Your phone is in "stand-by" mode when you select the turn off icon on your BlackBerry.

However, as I said, the only time your phone is really off is when the battery is out and it has no power source. The other times its just in "stand-by" mode.

[tsac]

The BB is fully monitored by the BES if your employer is supplying the data interface. You state your on a BIS so thatxxx8217;s out. As for the other monitoring of your access to the web, that is possible but unless your going to sites on the list of sites monitored by government I would not worry.
I do have one question, if you own the BB and pay the bills why do you have to turn over the BB to anyone at night. To me that sounds like your employer does have control and as indicated above by djm2, they may have access. I have never heard of any employer talking control of a cell phone at night.

[monkeypaw]

If your Gmail account is set up through either BIS or BES, the RIM servers will check for emails. Doesn't matter if the phone is on or off, they'll do their normal checking to see if there are new emails.

[djm2]

Perhaps I am mistaken, but I was under the impression that the OP might be in the hospital for recovery purposes.

[arishamron]

Thanks, folks, for your helpful replies -- but I'm still a bit unclear, what with all the shorthand (BES? BIS? OP?).

I turn my BlackBerry in to the nurse's station at night.

I turn it off (the icon you click on to power off) every time I finish using it and am going to turn it in to the nurses.

If it's still RIM checking, would THAT show up on Gmail's "recent activity" (on the desktop computer) as "mobile access" with an RIM IP address?

Finally, does Verizon's own proprietary GPS service make my phone available to be "ping'ed" by an employer?

Again, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions - I'm so lo-tech it's scary!

[djm2]

Originally Posted by arishamron

I turn it off (the icon you click on to power off) every time I finish using it and am going to turn it in to the nurses.

Poor security for you. I strongly recommend using a password, and then you'll have no problems.

Originally Posted by arishamron

If it's still RIM checking, would THAT show up on Gmail's "recent activity" (on the desktop computer) as "mobile access" with an RIM IP address?

Quite possibly. How is your gmail set up? If through the BlackBerry Internet Server, then yes it would show up as recent activity. If you get email through the Gmail application installed on the BlackBerry, then the program has to be running to check the email, and the answer would be no.

Originally Posted by arishamron

Finally, does Verizon's own proprietary GPS service make my phone available to be "ping'ed" by an employer?

No

Put a password on the device and you can rest easy.

PS:

BIS -> Blackberry Internet Server, used by most consumers
BES->BlackBerry Enterprise Server, used by many businesses
OP->Original Poster, i.e., you.

[usblues1965]

Wirelessly posted

I would either password protect your BB as stated above , or leave it at home. Since it looks like the only time you are able to use it is while your not at work. If the BB isn't there then there is absolutely no way anyone can mess with it.

[Kamau]

Do yourself a favor, and do like was mentioned above; give yourself a good & strong password. Better to be safe than sorry.

[daphne]

I don't know why the nurses would make you turn over the BlackBerry to them at night. I can see they might want you to turn it off at night so as to not disturb other patients. If it were me, I would question that policy and go all the way to the hospital administrator if necessary. Any personal property belonging to a patient should be kept in a safe, locked, and the patient should have a receipt for it, signed by himself and a staff person who witnessed it being put into the safe.

Even then, your best protection is to put a password on the device as others recommended. Make it complex enough it wouldn't be easily guessed, not your date of birth because they have that in your chart. But not so complex you can't remember it. And set the password time out for a very short time when you turn it over, if you are forced to turn it over.

For the GPS, if it makes you feel better, you can set it to 911 only.

[captthomason]

I second Daphne's inquiry. Why are you turning over a personal phone to hospital staff?

[Dingster1]

Yes explain that piece pls

[SuperECS]

^Because that is a rule. I thought he said that already.

As to the OP, do you use it at all when at the hospital? If not, just leave it at home. If you use it a lot at the hospital, do as others have said and get a strong, solid password.

[daphne]

It could be the hospital staff takes the BB to prevent it from being stolen from his room. I hope they ensure it doesn't get stolen from the nurses station.

[djm2]

Or it could be to ensure that the patient gets rest as opposed to using the BB throughout the night.

[TonyEye]

all your curve are belong to us

[KOR]

Well... Are they forcing patients to turn over other types of phones, MP3 players, CD players, newspapers, etc., and pulling the plug on TVs, radios, etc? If not, then why would they need to take the BB? I guess I would tell them thanks, but no thanks, to their offer/demand. Offer to turn it off & pull the batt if there's any concern with data interfering with their systems.

Sounds like they're being draconian because they feel they have their patients at a disadvantage.