Milon Gupta Eurescom gupta@eurescom.eu

Barack Obama is widely regarded as the world's first "Internet president". His success in the US presidential election was based to a large extent on the ingenious use of the Internet for mobilising supporters and voters. He himself sent and read e-mails on his BlackBerrry day and night during his campaign. The device has almost always been fastened to his belt. It was, thus, tragically ironic, when soon after Obama's biggest triumph some security-concerned aides openly speculated in mid-November 2008 that the president-elect might have to part from his beloved Blackberry. 

They certainly had a point: First, there is the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which makes all written White House communications public property subject to examination under the Freedom of Information Act five years after the end of a presidential administration. 

In addition, there are also security concerns. The president's digital communication would be a primary target for hackers all over the world. Apart from leaking confidential information, there would also be the risk that assassins could locate the location of the presidential Blackberry. 

For all these good reasons, no president before him used e-mail. George W. Bush used a BlackBerry during his 2000 presidential campaign - like his contender Al Gore. But upon taking office, Bush gave up his BlackBerry, as well as the use of any e-mail software. But Obama is different. "Obama is the first president who is addicted to the BlackBerry like the rest of us," former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart commented. 

Consequently, Obama fought for his right to e-mail. Or, in his own words: "In just the first few weeks, I've had to engage in some of the toughest diplomacy of my life. And that was just to keep my BlackBerry." 

Obama was able to persuade his security staff to let him keep using a BlackBerry. Two days after the inauguration in January, on 22 January 2009, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs announced at a press conference that a compromise had been reached allowing Obama to keep in touch with a select group of staff and friends through the device. "in a way that use will be limited and that the security is enhanced to ensure his ability to communicate, but to do so effectively and to do so in a way that is protected." 

Part of the compromise involved the president giving up his old e-mail address and switching to a new, secret one. "I won the fight but I don't think it's up and running yet," Obama said. 

Obviously, the White House security experts and the Canadian BlackBerry producer Research in Motion Ltd. were still working on the added security features of Obama's BlackBerry. It was not clear, whether Obama's personal BlackBerry had been upgraded, or if he had gotten an entirely new device.

During the presidential campaign and transition period, Obama used a Verizon Wireless BlackBerry. In photos, it appeared to be an 8700, commonly issued to corporate staffers and which comes without the camera or full-sized headphone jack found on more consumer-oriented models. 

Whether old or new BlackBerry, one week after the press conference, Obama seemed to have received his new old companion. US media reported that on 29 January the president walked along the West Wing Colonnade toward the Oval Office, while looking down at the electronic communicating device he held in both hands. 

While the president was having his stroll with his electronic companion, an international armada of hackers was probably already on the hunt for cracking the security of the allegedly spy-proof device.  According to Kevin Mitnick, a famous hacker and now security consultant, it is not impossible to hack the presidential BlackBerry. "It's a long shot, but it's possible. You'd probably need to be pretty sophisticated, but there's people out there who are," Mitnick said.  

According to Mitnick, the hackers would most likely target a person with access to Obama, as their network would be less secure than the President's. Once the hacker got hold of Obama's mail ID, it would be easier to lure him into a Web site that had previously been breached in order to transfer malicious code. 

Time will tell, if Mitnick's prediction is right. Irrespective of that the story of Obama's BlackBerry may be more than just a trivial anecdote about the addiction of a presidential Internet-Junkie. It appears like a symbol of the change in communication policy that Obama promised to introduce in the White House. The text above the contact form of the whitehouse.gov website says that "President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history".  

As Obama himself has mentioned himself, he is wary about entering the "bubble" enveloping a president in the White House. The BlackBerry may be his means to stay in touch with the world beyond the presidential bubble.

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