Opportunity Knox: Samsung releases security product for Android amidst BlackBerry turmoil

Samsung has announced its Knox security package for Android is now available for use by consumers, with the Korean electronics giant hoping to cash in on recent problems at rival BlackBerry.

The Samsung Knox package competes against Blackberry Enterprise Server, with both products cleared for use on US Department of Defence networks.

In a statement, Samsung explains its security model works by keeping secure work applications and data separate from regular, less secure regular apps and data.

“Samsung Knox is an end-to-end solution that provides security hardening from the hardware through the application layer. Samsung Knox implements a concept called [a] ‘container’, [which] is a separate secure execution environment for a set of pre-screened applications to run and store data.

“Applications running outside the container have only limited access to the data stored inside the container where security is enforced by system-level protection of Samsung Knox.

“In addition, users may choose to store enterprise applications and data such as corporate email, contacts and calendar allowing the IT department to manage the container through EAS (Exchange ActiveSync Server). These features make Samsung KNOX an ideal platform for BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device to work).”

While the product has been available for corporate IT environments, the latest update extends its features to consumers.

As SmartCompany reported yesterday, directors at BlackBerry hope to wrap up the sale of the once dominant smartphone maker by the end of the year.