Forcing a Blackberry to do IMAP over SSL

From Syscore

When you configure a remote email client through the blackberry web interface, and enter something in that's obvious, like username@umbc.edu, and your username & password, it automatically "discovers" your mail server (correctly), however, unless you do some extra magic, it'll usually default to using a plaintext login -- even though SSL and TLS are both available.

So, as we transition to only allowing encrypted mail reading through our servers at UMBC, you may receive an email notice that an email client from stuff.blackberry.net has been reading your email insecurely. If you do, please take a moment and correctly configure your Blackberry email account.

In order to configure your remote email account to use a secure login method, you must first delete it under Profile->Email accounts, then re-add it.

Adding a Remote Email Client *correctly*

First, choose Add Account.

Enter your email information:

    Email Address: <whatever>@umbc.edu
         Username: <myUMBC ID>
         Password: Your password*
Re-Enter Password: Your password*

At this stage, enter the WRONG password (but the same one) in both boxes. You need to cause blackberry's website to fail to login to your account in order for it to show the other options.

Next, it'll ask you what sort of email service you're adding -- choose the first one "I use a client like Outlook, etc."

Now, enter the following in the next page... oh, click the "Use SSL" box first :)

      Email Server: imap.umbc.edu
       Port Number: 993
     Email Address: <whatever>@umbc.edu
         User Name: <myUMBC ID>
          Password: your password (correct one!)
 Re-Enter Password: your password (correct one!)
    X  Leave messages on server.
    X  Use SSL.

Now you're done, and your blackberry will read email securely from UMBC!