Research warns of PlayBook security holes

All work and no PlayBook
All work and no PlayBook

The first independent study into the security credentials of the BlackBerry PlayBook has found a couple of causes for concern.

The issues the NGS Secure team found included unintended access to the file system, flaws in relation to a third-party web server and a problem with the HDMI video interface.

The company has made RIM aware of these security flaws and says that the company is making changes to address them.

Can't count what you don't have

NGS Secure's main concern, however, is that some of the PlayBook's key functionality is yet to be released – with onboard email, calendar or contacts applications on the way, it's impossible to tell how secure the tablet will be.

Currently, the PlayBook uses BlackBerry Bridge to access those features, meaning that the tablet itself should be as secure as the BlackBerry smartphone you're using it with.

Andy Davis, research director at NGS Secure, commented that the missing functions mean that "if businesses are to take IT security as seriously as they should be, it is difficult for them to decide whether this technology is mature enough yet to be adopted in the enterprise.

"Our advice to any business looking at tablet technology, or indeed any new technologies, is not to rush into implementing them until all aspects have been proven."

It's pretty tenuous reasoning, but if you're super security conscious it may be a consideration. Still, if the PlayBook's good enough for the US government

Confused about which is the best tablet for you? Our useful video guide to buying a tablet should give you a helping hand:

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.