Apple hired the author Signal
Apple hired the author of Signal Messenger, which is considered one of the safest free applications for exchanging information between users. Freelick Jacobs, the author of Signal, previously worked for Open Whisper Systems and was engaged in the development of the instant messenger, who received the highest marks for securing data transfer data from gurus Bruce Schneier, Matthew Green and Edward Snowden. Unlike other instant messengers, Signal offers users secure end-to-end encryption, without the need to decrypt the data being sent at an intermediate stage.
For Apple itself, the problem of securing user data on mobile devices running iOS has become more urgent than ever. The company and the US intelligence agencies have reached a new level of debate about the possibility of disclosing user data, which could become a precedent for a large-scale special services attack on the privacy policy of user data of all high-tech companies.
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It should be noted that Apple had previously taken care of user security, we already wrote that iOS 8+ versions received the function of encrypting user data by default on the device, and from the ninth version it was possible to expand the installed unlock code to six digits.
The conflict between the company and law enforcement began due to Apple’s refusal to provide some kind of tool for extracting encrypted data from a blocked terrorist device involved in San Bernardino massacres. The peculiarity of the situation also lies in the fact that the FBI representatives, having appealed to the court, managed to win the case, i.e. Apple, in fact, was obliged to provide a tool for extracting data from the device according to the court verdict. To create such a tool, in fact, Apple is forced to introduce a backdoor into iOS, because without it, it is not possible to quickly access the encrypted device data. The unlock code (passcode) is known only to the user and to anyone except him, and he, in turn, participates in data encryption. Thus, without knowing the passcode, it is impossible to decrypt the data.
The role of Signal's author at Apple is not completely clear, but TechCrunch reports that the company plans to further minimize the risk of opening user data for anyone, in particular, it is about encrypting iOS backup files in iCloud instead of storing them in open form. Also in future versions of iOS, the iOS recovery function may disappear from the backup file without an unlock code (passcode-free recovery mode).
For more information on this case, including technical features, please refer to the excellent posts of Elcomsoft specialists who develop forensic tools for Apple devices.
Apple vs. the Government: Follow-up
blog.elcomsoft.com/2016/02/apple-vs-the-government-follow-up
A Message to Our Customers, Apple and FBI
blog.elcomsoft.com/2016/02/a-message-to-our-customers-apple-and-fbi
For Apple itself, the problem of securing user data on mobile devices running iOS has become more urgent than ever. The company and the US intelligence agencies have reached a new level of debate about the possibility of disclosing user data, which could become a precedent for a large-scale special services attack on the privacy policy of user data of all high-tech companies.
')
It should be noted that Apple had previously taken care of user security, we already wrote that iOS 8+ versions received the function of encrypting user data by default on the device, and from the ninth version it was possible to expand the installed unlock code to six digits.
The conflict between the company and law enforcement began due to Apple’s refusal to provide some kind of tool for extracting encrypted data from a blocked terrorist device involved in San Bernardino massacres. The peculiarity of the situation also lies in the fact that the FBI representatives, having appealed to the court, managed to win the case, i.e. Apple, in fact, was obliged to provide a tool for extracting data from the device according to the court verdict. To create such a tool, in fact, Apple is forced to introduce a backdoor into iOS, because without it, it is not possible to quickly access the encrypted device data. The unlock code (passcode) is known only to the user and to anyone except him, and he, in turn, participates in data encryption. Thus, without knowing the passcode, it is impossible to decrypt the data.
The role of Signal's author at Apple is not completely clear, but TechCrunch reports that the company plans to further minimize the risk of opening user data for anyone, in particular, it is about encrypting iOS backup files in iCloud instead of storing them in open form. Also in future versions of iOS, the iOS recovery function may disappear from the backup file without an unlock code (passcode-free recovery mode).
For more information on this case, including technical features, please refer to the excellent posts of Elcomsoft specialists who develop forensic tools for Apple devices.
Apple vs. the Government: Follow-up
blog.elcomsoft.com/2016/02/apple-vs-the-government-follow-up
A Message to Our Customers, Apple and FBI
blog.elcomsoft.com/2016/02/a-message-to-our-customers-apple-and-fbi
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/278053/
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