The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), one of the largest employers of military personnel and civilian workers, has adopted a mobile strategy many years ago when it saw how it could support mission requirements to communicate information anywhere, anytime. DoD supplied many of its operatives with laptop computers, tablets or smartphones that are connected DoD-operated Wi-Fi networks.

Military/Government agencies like the DoD, know the integration of mobile aspects is crucial to its future operations, as it is essential for employees to communicate when out of the office, on the move and out in the battlefield to take care of their business. With no intention to replace full use of a desktop PC, the DoD still wants to capitalize on the benefits of using mobile devices.

Yet, there is still the need to keep the department’s information, much of it classified, secure. DoD mobile workforce needs to be protected by intruders attempting to eavesdrop on users’ sensitive communications, by malware threats, vulnerabilities and other computer and cyber insecurities.

Among DoD’s mobility challenges is smartphones and cyber insecurities. Such mobile devices are prone to cyber-attacks and “are just as vulnerable as a desktop computer.” Computer analysts agree that any computer system, including smartphones, with an operating system and Internet connectivity must employ security mechanisms as security has become an emerging area of concern with the rise of cybercriminal attacks.

According to hte Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, back in 2010 the U.S. struggles with cybercrime. He confirmed that “malicious cyberactivity is growing at an unprecedented rate," and that the country's efforts to defend against cyberattacks "are not strong enough."

One can expect the DoD and other agencies like it to use department-wide mobile enterprise solutions that permit security measures to protect the user and the device. BlackBerry (News - Alert) may perhaps be the most secure smartphone on the market, according to research. This may explain why the rapid adoption of these devices and the number in operation at the DoD. In fact, the department has a contract with Blackberry to use its smartphones with no intent to end it in favor of Apple iOS devices or Android (News - Alert) ones for that matter despite using them as well.

It has been the DoD’s mobile strategy for some years now to use a combination of devices (that includes Blackberry) from several platforms as part of an ongoing deployment plans. This means, they are not dumping Blackberry even if they looking into having several other mobile options.

For many DoD users, the Blackberry has been their mobile communication device of choice for e-mailing and the Internet. Knowing that RIM’s mobile operating system has a high-level of security and fewer security weaknesses than other smartphones, gives reason for holding on to the Blackberry for secure work, personal data interchange, and communication exchange over a phone device.

Now with BlackBerry 10 devices, both the Z10 and Q10, launched last week, it makes one wonder if they will help the DoD remain a loyal customer even if recently purchasing more iPhones and Android systems. Will it have more of its employees discuss the business of national security on these devices instead of BlackBerries even if the latter is said to offer better security practices, a central management and advanced encryption capabilities far superior than the other two?