Obama

President Barack Obama is going to get his blackberry. On Monday , a government agency that the Obama administration -- but that is probably the National Security Agency -- added to a standard blackberry a super-encryption package.... and Obama WILL be able to use it ... still for routine and personal messages. It's not clear whether he yet has the device. With few exceptions, government Blackberries aren't designed for encryption that protects messages above the "SECRET" status, so it's not clear whether Obama is getting something new and special. The exception: the Sectera Edge from General Dynamics, which allows for TOP SECRET voice conversations. Perhaps the NSA and US telecommunications companies have created a special, more secure digital pathway for Obama's messages to travel on, one that would resist the inevitable penetration attempts by foreign governments. A General Dynamics spokesperson declined to comment; the NSA did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment, neither did two Obama spokespeople. The messages, like other White House communications, will kept from the public for the duration of his presidency, if not longer. Obama and other officials won't be able to use Instant Messaging in the White House. Earlier in the transition, there was a plan to give select officials access to a Blackberry owned by the Democratic National Committee; the devices would be able to be used for political communication but would be subject to different disclosure rules.