Activation passwords
The BlackBerry Enterprise Server activates a BlackBerry device over the wireless network using the wireless activation
authentication protocol and an activation password that is specific to the user account associated with the BlackBerry
device.
Item Description
length of the activation password Typical activation passwords are four to eight characters long. Activation
passwords are limited to the following character lengths:
• BlackBerry device: 31 characters
• BlackBerry Administration Service : 20 characters
• KeyGenPassword field that stores the password in the BlackBerry
Configuration Database: 50 characters
character support Activation passwords can include any type of character
security Wireless activation is designed so that short activation passwords do not
compromise the security of the protocol.
You must distribute the activation password to the authenticated user securely.
If the user receives the activation password, but does not activate the
BlackBerry device on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, a potentially malicious
user who can access the activation password can connect another BlackBerry
device to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and assume the identity of the
intended user.
When a user activates a BlackBerry device on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server,
the activation password becomes inactive and a potentially malicious user
cannot reuse it to activate another BlackBerry device.
If a user receives an activation password, you cannot generate a new activation
password for the user until the activation password expires. An activation
password expires after 48 hours by default. You can configure an activation to
password expire earlier than the default value of 48 hours.
expiry time An activation password is no longer valid if any of the following events occur:
• the user does not activate the BlackBerry device on the BlackBerry
Enterprise Server before the default value of 48 hours elapses
�� the user types the activation password incorrectly five consecutive times
• the BlackBerry Enterprise Server activates a BlackBerry device using the
activation password
Administration Guide Assigning BlackBerry devices to users
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