Smartphone Security: Blackberry Vs Windows Phone 7

1. RIM vs Microsoft: Old Guard vs New Blood

Last month, we compared the security pros and cons of Apple's iOS to the Android platform from Google. Ultimately we decided that iOS offers better security overall and also has a leg-up when it comes to data backups. Now we’ll analyze and compare the security features of RIM’s veteran BlackBerry OS (BB OS) and Microsoft’s platform, Windows Phone 7 (WP7).

Like the iOS/Android article, we're going to talk about what measures you can take to secure your phone within the devices' operating system, including steps like pass-codes, passwords, VPN access, data encryption, and data backup. We will also look at some third-party applications that offer both these same layers of security (data backup, encryption) as well as additional security (anti-virus).

Remember, the compact size of mobile phones and devices makes them easy to steal or lose. The more you do on your mobile device, typically the more you should be concerned about its security. If you haven’t already, read through the first few pages of last month’s article for a general overview of mobile security concerns and solutions.