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Apple Ordered to Create a Backdoor

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I hope this doesn't happen. IMO I agree with Tim Cook that this will lead to a lack of security and privacy and lack of control on using. Here is the link. This is like opening the proverbial can of worms. What do you folks think?

Kenny
 
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Is the government demanding Apple do it to all iPhones or just the one 5c that that murderer used?
 
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I am torn. I agree with what Tim says in the post. But I think of what those people did and what could be on the iPhone that could lead to other terrorist. The cost of freedom is never free but are we willing to pay the price of a potential loss of privacy? I believe we have lost so much of our privacy already. Do we give up more?

I find it ironic that after Apple created an internal "kill" switch to brick a stolen phone, the government required a "kill" switch be put in all phones. It was a great idea until they figured out just what that meant for law enforcement and getting information off a phone. Now it is not so great. I understand it is the encryption that is an issue in this too.

I totally get why the FBI wants the information on that iPhone. I could almost agree to allowing Apple and only Apple to open the iPhone if a court orders it, but I fear that would open the door to widespread abuse. I do not support a government provided override - because I do not trust them to overuse it.

In addition, any backdoor that is created can be hacked. And if they are forced to create a backdoor next to be eliminated will be the ability for the owner to brick their own iPhone using the "find my phone" app.

Lisa
 
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Is the government demanding Apple do it to all iPhones or just the one 5c that that murderer used?
Just this phone but the problem arises with "control" of how and when they decide to use it.

Lisa..I couldn't agree more with your assessment. Again we all know the government likes power and they do lack control of using it. I hope this isn't a long road down a slippery slope. Opening a permanent back door will only change the way the bad people do their deeds and then the rest of use suffer, like our lives haven't changed enough.

Kenny
 
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Gosh you guys get your knickers in a twist. Let terrorists and murderers rule. Their individual rights are obviously more important than the community's. Get Apple to open the phine and hand it over then. Simple!
 
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Harry I wish it were that simple. I totally agree with opening the terrorist's iPhone and actually Apple had no issues with that. What caused the problem was the judge who issued the court order included in it that Apple must develop a software backdoor for law enforcement to use. Supposedly before they used it this would take a judge issuing a warrant/court order to do that. And for the moment I will let slide the fact that I believe it will be abused. But if there is a backdoor just how long before it is hacked and the reason for the ability to lock and brick a stolen iPhone will be a mute point?

Lisa
 
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Apple has a fiduciary responsibility to it's investors and their stock takes a BIG hit the second the headlines read "Apple Designs iPhone Backdoor for Government Investigations". They aren't opening that phone up for as long as possible. Hang a civil liberties flag on it if that sells, but that isn't the motivator.

Personally, I'm not for giving up any more civil liberties than we already have in the name of The War on Terror™. I'd rather waterboard a hundred jihadis than give them the satisfaction of handing over more personal freedoms in the name of security. But hey, I'm old school.
 
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It is really that simple. Be safe or meet the consequences. The safety of the community comes first period.
 
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Great opinions folks but this is going to be the courts for some time I believe.
 
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Yes it is! And if the courts rule to create the backdoor then here comes the lawsuits from iPhone owners concerning a violation of privacy laws. It shall be interesting to watch.

Lisa
 
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That's really simple... Apple could provide the requested firmware update, without giving the firmware to law enforcement.

Have the iPhone in question delivered to Apple to have Apple techs remove the password lockout limit. Deliver the iPhone to law enforcement and let them have at it, go ahead and crack the password. Once it's done, revoke the certificate used for the special firmware and everybody is happy...

If the FBI is not happy and want to install the firmware themselves, then it's quite evident that they are looking for a backdoor for iOS.

I would not doubt that one of the intelligence agencies had already unlocked the iPhone and the court order is just a smoke screen. They don't want to admit that they already have ways to access the encrypted iPhones...
 
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The FBI needs a plausible chain of custody regarding this iPhone - every single thing that has been done to it, by whom, when, and how it was done - if it wants to use it for prosecutions in court, or to obtain warrants for search, seizure or wiretaps from a court.

This is why the FBI (DHS) needs "Apple assistance" to open it, unless they want to either disclose in court records that they successfully surreptitiously opened it, or have a big redacted pubic record regarding the opening process which is as good as saying they cracked it.

Apple doesn't want that either, because the conclusion is that Apple iPhones are hackable by the US government without any help from Apple. As such, Apple will eventually "open" it for them, but will kick the can a while publicly to save their image and stock value.
 
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It is really that simple. Be safe or meet the consequences. The safety of the community comes first period.

No, that is incorrect. The reality is that any such back door access will always be after the fact. In other words, it would have happened anyway. Just talking about it is not illegal. Back doors will, not might, be broken and it could be a matter of hours. Then the terrorists will use your phone to do their communications then you are likely to be arrested, if not, a person of interest, which means they can monitor your every move. I don't get that creating a back door is safe for the community. It does nothing to increase safety.

I think you are thinking that only law enforcement will have the ability to use the back door, which has been proven wrong so many times.
 
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There is a thing called CALEA.

This whole event is stupid, the FBI has been strong arming Apple about this. However, FBI has a federal rule for all of us that own Internet and VoIP businesses - called CALEA. We have to log and record all information and make it available upon court request. Why don't they start there... go to the carrier, they have copies of all our texts, network communications, phone calls, etc. We are a smaller company with servers here in Richmond and 16 other cities, and 100's of terabytes of archived calls and network traffic. No need to crack a device!

Now, for Apple, this is not something they want do... they will lose the trust of the consumer. FBI being backed by Microsoft?

Ozz Nixon
Found and Sr. Sofware Architect
3F, LLC.
 
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Don't know if this was exactly like the Government request was worded, but from a marketing standpoint, If Apple complies with this the rumor mill would likely have a big impact on future sales.
Like what if they set it up so suspected criminals would get this version when they do an upgrade. True or not, it's a worry. We know how accurate the no fly list is..

Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation.
In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.
 
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The feds seem to think all Apple has to do is write a piece of code that disables the kill switch in the iPhone. Not true. While they could indeed write the code to turn off the kill switch HOW DO THEY INSTALL IT ON THE PHONE? An individualized update to the iOS wold have to be accepted by the user - but they need the pass code for that, and they can't hack the passcode with the kill switch in place.

I don't think this is an issue of Apple refusing to do something to help out law enforcement, but rather Apple trying to explain to the non-geeks that it is simply not doable in the manner they want, and illegal for them to do it any other way.
 
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Is the government demanding Apple do it to all iPhones or just the one 5c that that murderer used?
The FBI is currently only intersted in this one phone, ostensibly to identify others involvement and they only wanted the auto-wipe disabled after 10 incorrect attempts. The FBI were willing to brute force to unlock the phone and that is all they requested. The judge, however, ordered Apple to create a back door. Clearly the judge is not qualified to make tech related judgements. He either misunderstood the request or thinks that disabling the auto-wipe and a back door are the same thing. Or he made up his own mind (even though he is supposed to remain impartial).
 
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Continued thought...

Why not build a device which they can pull he guts of the iphone, and treat it like a slave drive on a PC... boot the master device, mount the secondary device and voila... data.

Patent that idea!
O.
 
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Did not BlackBerry have a similar user data protection with some of their devices and was there not a similar type attempt to make them provide some sort of access several years ago or were they exempt because they were a Canadian company??? As if that would matter to some… :Not-Amused:
 

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