The President of the United States has told press that he can't use an iPhone. Why? The President told a bunch of eager kids that he can't use an iPhone for "security reasons," and that's why he still rocks a BlackBerry.

If the U.S. President can't use an iPhone, just how secure is this device?

Is the iPhone Safe?

Obama isn't the only person that can't use an iPhone for security purposes. A large number of businesses dole out BlackBerry devices to employees for the very same reason. What's the deal? The fact that the President can't use an iPhone for security reasons is somewhat laughable, but there are some other possibilities why an iPhone may not be the best choice for Obama.

Namely, Apple was one of the companies that openly divulged client details to the NSA. BlackBerry, by contrast, is a Canadian company that's based in Canada, so the NSA would have a harder time grabbing information on Americans that use BlackBerry, it seems. Does the U.S. Government not trust the NSA when it comes to Obama's personal details? Maybe. Should you worry?

Sparking Some Concern

The fact that the President of the United States has openly stated that the iPhone is not secure isn't great press for Apple. Or for the President's own security, for that matter. With all of the president's men, nobody on his security team could figure out how to hand him an iPhone that's secure? That seems unlikely. Still, Obama stands strongly behind the Canadian company that makes his phone.

Interestingly, Obama is the only president to bring a smartphone into the White House. He told press that roughly 10 people have his personal email address, but the fact that he has a phone still makes a strong statement (in fact, he fought with security to keep his phone when he moved into the White House).

I'll bring up another point: even a tech-savvy (well, BlackBerry-savvy) President couldn't keep the healthcare.gov site from crashing.

Should You Be Worried About the iPhone?

That is the million dollar question today. With Obama openly stating that he can't have an iPhone for security reasons, many people are now looking at the gold-dipped devices and wondering if they are being spied on. That's some food for thought. In the meantime, there are some ways to make sure that your iPhone is safe (other than using an Android phone).

Make sure that your messages are encrypted if you have a work phone or are just generally paranoid.

Don't allow all apps to have access to your personal details (yes, that means reading the fine print).

Don't believe in fairy-tales: the Internet isn't a safe and cushy place, so why would your phone be any different? It all seems warm and fuzzy until somebody's personal information is leaked.

Keep your phone updated. I know it's a pain, but updates exist for a reason. Do it.

Got any other iPhone security tips or thoughts on why it's not great that Obama has told the world that the iPhone isn't safe? Sound off!