The stand-off between the maker of Blackberry and the Government seems far from over as the Canadian company has expressed its "inability" to provide access to the security agencies to intercept emails and messenger services.
While the security agencies are able to lawfully intercept the short messaging services, voice data and multi- media messaging services, they are not able to make any headway on emails and messenger services, inbuilt functions of Blackberry handsets which require a "master key" from the manufacturer for interception.
Special Security (Internal Security) in the MHA Utthan Kumar Bansal had said last week that BlackBerry had assured the Home Ministry that the issue of monitoring of its services will be sorted out soon.
His comments had assumed significance as the Ministry had conveyed to Department of Telecom earlier that BlackBerry will have to address its security concern by offering monitoring facility, else the popular smartphones maker will have to shut its shop in the country.
However, Research in Motion (RIM) -- the company that makes Blackberry phones -- today expressed inability to meet the demand saying no one including the company could access the encrypted data and did not have any "masters key".
There are over one million users in the country.
"The BlackBerry security architecture for enterprise customers is purposefully designed to exclude the capability for RIM or any third party to read encrypted information under any circumstances," the company said in a statement
"Governments have a wide range of resources and methods to satisfy national security and law enforcement needs without compromising commercial security requirements," it added.
The security architecture for RIM's enterprise customers is based on a symmetric key system whereby customers create their own key and only they possess the copy of the encryption.
The company said, "RIM does not possess a master key nor does any back door exist in the system that would allow RIM or any third party to gain an unauthorised access to the key or corporate data."
RIM, therefore, would be unable to accommodate any request for a copy of a customer's encryption key since at no time does RIM, or any wireless network operator, ever possess a copy of the key, it added.
RIM, which operates in 175 countries, said, "While RIM does not disclose confidential discussions that take place with any government, RIM assures its customers that it is committed to delivering highly secure and innovative products that satisfy the needs of both customers and governments."
Even the UAE and Saudi Arabia have said recently that they will bar the BlackBerry services due to security risks.
The security agencies in India apprehend that BlackBerry services in the present format posed a serious security threat.