UCSD Medical Center
Information Security
Bulletin: November 2008
Security Reminders for Blackberry
Phone Users
Important Blackberry tips:
1. Include an identification label, example: “If found, return to...your name or department name and day
time phone number or an address.”
2. For privacy and security reasons, password protect your Blackberry phone!
3. Overview for setting a password on Blackberry 8300/8700/8800 series: Go to
Settings/Options/Security Options/General Settings. Change Password to "enabled", then change
"Security Timeout" to no more than 20 min. Hit escape, save your changes and enter in your
password. Escape back to the main menu. Detailed, step-by-step instructions follow.
4. Warning: Make the password easy to remember, if you forget it, everything in your phone will be
wiped, including addresses!
How to password protect a Blackberry phone:
BlackBerry smartphones support individual security passwords between four and fourteen characters in
length. The use of the password is designed to ensure that only the BlackBerry smartphone user can
access the information stored on the BlackBerry smartphone.
The BlackBerry smartphone rejects less secure passwords, such as those composed of identical
characters or those that consist of natural sequences (for example, 1234).
Set a BlackBerry smartphone password
1. From the Home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone, click Options.
2. Click Security Options.
3. Click General Settings. Note: If you are running BlackBerry Device Software 4.0.2 or earlier,
click Options, then Security.
4. Change the Password field to Enabled.
5. Display the menu and click Save.
6. Type your new password and click Enter.
7. Verify your new password by typing it again and click Enter
Change the BlackBerry smartphone password
1. From the Home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone, click Options.
2. Click Security Options.
3. Click General Settings. Note: If you are running BlackBerry Device Software 4.0.2 or earlier,
click Options, then Security.
4. Display the menu and click Change Password.
5. Type your existing password and click Enter.
6. Type your new password and click Enter.
7. Verify your new password by typing it again and click Enter.
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UCSD Medical Center
Information Security
Bulletin: November 2008
Turn on password protection using the Security Timeout feature
Security Timeout is a feature that, after a predetermined amount of inactivity, will lock the BlackBerry
smartphone automatically.
To enable Security Timeout, complete the following steps:
1. From the Home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone, click Options.
2. Click Security Options.
3. Click General Settings.
4. Set the Security Timeout field to the amount of inactivity the BlackBerry smartphone is permitted
before it is locked automatically.
5. Display the menu and click Save.
Note: Clicking Lock on the Home screen instantly locks the BlackBerry smartphone.
Unlock the BlackBerry smartphone
1. Press any key on the BlackBerry smartphone to display the Enter Password screen.
2. Type your BlackBerry smartphone password. Press Enter.
Important: If a password in incorrectly typed ten consecutive times, all data on the BlackBerry
smartphone will automatically be deleted. This is a security feature.
Additional Information
When the Security Timeout feature is set for a longer duration than the Backlight Timeout feature, the
BlackBerry smartphone will lock automatically when the combined duration of the features has elapsed.
For example, if the Backlight Timeout feature is set to dim after two minutes and the Security Timeout
feature is set for 20 minutes, the BlackBerry smartphone will not automatically lock until 22 minutes has
elapsed.
Reference:
http://www.berryreview.com/2007/12/26/faq-how-to-password-protect-your-blackberry/
For instructions with screen shots and different model numbers:
http://isdp.nih.gov/hardware/BB_password.asp
http://www.wikihow.com/Set-a-Password-on-a-Blackberry
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