Personal privacy v national security

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by CarlV

I think that "it's uncrackable" is total BS to make people think their phone is secure. I am sure there are people in Russia and Romania who could crack it. That is unless they are BSing the whole thing to begin with.


Carl

The data is encrypted. The key is created in such a way that it is known to no one and not trackable to anything. It's held in what is called a 'secure enclave' (in the phone). What makes the secure enclave so secure, I know not. But apparently the FBI can't get into it....

[CarlV]

Having cracked Apple iPhone backups last year, Russian security company ElcomSoft appears to have found a reliable way to beat the layered encryption system used to secure data held on the smartphone itself.

Since the advent of iOS 4 in June 2010, Apple has been able to secure data on compatible devices using a hardware encryption system called Data Protection, which stores a user's passcode key on an internal chip using 256-bit AES encryption. Adding to this, each file stored on an iOS device is secured with an individual key computed from the device's Unique ID (UID).

http://www.pcworld.com/article/228625/article.html

Just because we don't teach our 10 year olds to code doesn't mean they don't.

Carl

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by CarlV

Just because we don't teach our 10 year olds to code doesn't mean they don't.

Carl

Maybe the FBI should seek the help of the FSB.

[CarlV]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Maybe the FBI should seek the help of the FSB.

Kinda sucks to think that we as a country are falling so far behind in educating our own that it may be their only option has any credibility, which it does.


Carl

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by MrPots

Once the back door is created and people are damaged by hacking and identity theft, will the government step up and make them whole again since it was their doing?

No they won't. I'm with Apple on this. If 30,000 deaths a year is the price of guns, the occasional terrorist attack is the price of privacy.

Amen. The threat of terrorism is ridiculously overblown. Since 9/11 I have spent exactly zero time concerning myself over being killed by a terrorist. My chances of being struck by lightening are far far greater and I don't worry about that.

On the other hand the chances of having my identity stolen are pretty damned decent.

[icenine]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

They can't do that without cracking their own 'uncrackable' security. They actually may not be able to. But if they can, all the iphones will no longer be 'uncrackable.'

I think if you engineer the encryption you can unencrypt it.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by CarlV

Just because we don't teach our 10 year olds to code doesn't mean they don't.

Carl

That is a ridiculously old PC article in computer technology terms. iphone 6 security does not tie to the UID, doing so vastly decreases the key universe.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by icenine

I think if you engineer the encryption you can unencrypt it.

Here is a number: [secret]

Here is another number: 50241606

The second number is the first number, encrypted. It was encrypted by the ridiculously simple method of dividing the secret number by a constant, the 'key.' There, you know how the encryption was engineered. What is the secret number?

[CarlV]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

That is a ridiculously old PC article in computer technology terms. iphone 6 security does not tie to the UID, doing so vastly decreases the key universe.

That was the first article I found in a fast 3 second search to show credibility to what I was trying to get across. It can be done. The odds for having your identity stolen are slim but always there.

Originally Posted by icenine

I think if you engineer the encryption you can unencrypt it.

+1, absolutely.


Carl

[Oerets]

The phone in question belongs to the health department first of all. So having given the OK to retrieve the info case closed in my opinion.
Second on giving out the key, for the sake of argument what if there was info of a dirty bomb or other terrorist actions known to be on there? Do you want a delay or let it be protected?
If a court issues an order end of discussion! Courts have been requiring sensitive personal information for many years. This is all about Apple making more money selling a device to protect questionable activities.

From the info I have seen, you need a prime number in association with encryption. The number may have hundreds of digits and take months to obtain.



Barney