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Couldn't Apple give the data of the terrorist's phone without creating a backdoor? I.e. making it an exceptional case rather than something that could easily be

by d0m 11y ago

Couldn't Apple give the data of the terrorist's phone without creating a backdoor? I.e. making it an exceptional case rather than something that could easily be done again and again? To be clear, I'm against the backdoor, but as an engineer I know that Apple could give the data back if they wanted. I guess it's bad PR from them to say so though. I'm also very surprised at how transparent the FBI is about their incapacity at cracking the phone. Or maybe this is also just for PR reasons and the phone is already cracked?

mythz 11y ago
> To be clear, I'm against the backdoor, but as an engineer I know that Apple could give the data back if they wanted. What do you know? How are you suggesting they can extract encrypted data that requires a passcode to decrypt when no existing version of iOS allows electronic brute forcing? Tim's already attested that they don't know any other way to access the data: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/exclusive-apple-ceo-tim-cook-iphone-cracking-software/story?id=37173343 http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/exclusive-apple-ceo-tim-coo...
- d0m 11y ago
  What does it even mean "Cancer software"? Seems like PR bullshit to me. I've got a hard time believing that Apple can't crack their own phone. To be clear, do they mean that THIS phone is impossible to crack? I guess the part I don't understand is how creating a backdoor for THIS phone makes it so that ALL users would get a backdoor..? Couldn't they push the software just to that phone for exceptional reasons? If the FBI wants to get other phones opened, they'd have to get a court order by the law and that would be handled on a case by case basis. Similarly to how the FBI could get a court order to come in my house if they suspect criminal activities? (Edited for clarity)
  - mythz 11y ago
    > What does that even mean "Cancer software"? Seems like PR bullshit to me. Tim's addressing the wider public (i.e. not tech professionals) and explains what he means in context, i.e. its bad software, something they would never write or should ever be forced to write. > I've got a hard time believing that apple can't crack their own phone. You've said you know they can and are now saying you don't believe that they can't. So how exactly should they decrypt encrypted data without the pass code it was encrypted with? > do they mean that THIS phone is impossible to crack, but that would let other phones be crackable in the future? No, it's been stated a number of times including being written in the Court Order that they can create a new version of iOS without software protections that allows the FBI to brute force the pass code electronically. This is the whole premise of the legal precedent, whether or not the FBI can compel Apple to write software that doesn't yet exist to create a new version of iOS with a backdoor that the FBI can exploit. But they wont be able to do this with future iPhone's that are hardware protected by the secure enclave.
    - d0m 11y ago
      >> You've said you know they can and are now saying you don't believe that they can't. So how exactly should they decrypt encrypted data without the pass code it was encrypted with? Sorry, I meant to say "As an engineer, I've got a hard time believing that Apple can't crack their own phone". Thanks for clarifying it up.

by d0m 11y ago

mythz 11y ago

> To be clear, I'm against the backdoor, but as an engineer I know that Apple could give the data back if they wanted. What do you know? How are you suggesting they can extract encrypted data that requires a passcode to decrypt when no existing version of iOS allows electronic brute forcing? Tim's already attested that they don't know any other way to access the data: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/exclusive-apple-ceo-tim-cook-iphone-cracking-software/story?id=37173343 http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/exclusive-apple-ceo-tim-coo...

d0m 11y ago
What does it even mean "Cancer software"? Seems like PR bullshit to me. I've got a hard time believing that Apple can't crack their own phone. To be clear, do they mean that THIS phone is impossible to crack? I guess the part I don't understand is how creating a backdoor for THIS phone makes it so that ALL users would get a backdoor..? Couldn't they push the software just to that phone for exceptional reasons? If the FBI wants to get other phones opened, they'd have to get a court order by the law and that would be handled on a case by case basis. Similarly to how the FBI could get a court order to come in my house if they suspect criminal activities? (Edited for clarity)
- mythz 11y ago
  > What does that even mean "Cancer software"? Seems like PR bullshit to me. Tim's addressing the wider public (i.e. not tech professionals) and explains what he means in context, i.e. its bad software, something they would never write or should ever be forced to write. > I've got a hard time believing that apple can't crack their own phone. You've said you know they can and are now saying you don't believe that they can't. So how exactly should they decrypt encrypted data without the pass code it was encrypted with? > do they mean that THIS phone is impossible to crack, but that would let other phones be crackable in the future? No, it's been stated a number of times including being written in the Court Order that they can create a new version of iOS without software protections that allows the FBI to brute force the pass code electronically. This is the whole premise of the legal precedent, whether or not the FBI can compel Apple to write software that doesn't yet exist to create a new version of iOS with a backdoor that the FBI can exploit. But they wont be able to do this with future iPhone's that are hardware protected by the secure enclave.
  - d0m 11y ago
    >> You've said you know they can and are now saying you don't believe that they can't. So how exactly should they decrypt encrypted data without the pass code it was encrypted with? Sorry, I meant to say "As an engineer, I've got a hard time believing that Apple can't crack their own phone". Thanks for clarifying it up.