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So Apple is saying that their "Lockdown Mode" protects against "highly targeted cyberattacks from private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware
by GuB-42 4y ago
So Apple is saying that their "Lockdown Mode" protects against "highly targeted cyberattacks from private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware".
That's an interesting wording, because it claims to protect you against... nothing that matters. Notably, it doesn't protect you against:
- The police. Don't get me wrong, I am all for letting the police do its job fighting crime, even if it means hacking iPhones, but even if you got the police attention for a noble cause, Lockdown Mode won't save you, at least, it doesn't claim to.
- Foreign governments, as well as your own government. Notice how it mentions "private companies" specifically, as in, not public. And the cyberattacks themselves have to be performed by private companies, if the tools that these companies develop are used by government entities, it doesn't count.
- Cybercriminals, the kind who are after your money. They are not "private companies", and they are usually not state-sponsored.
- Terrorist organizations, mafias, drug cartels, etc... again, not "private companies", and while they may be backed by states, they typically work for themselves.
The technical aspects have value, and I think giving the user the choice of wearing a tinfoil hat is great, but the claim they are making is deceivingly weak if you read carefully.
- ngetchell 4y agoThe NSO group used links and attachments in iMessage. These protections would mitigate those attacks.
- concinds 4y agoThey used an "invisible 0-click exploit"; where you don't even actually receive a text message or need to click any links or attachments. https://citizenlab.ca/2020/12/the-great-ipwn-journalists-hacked-with-suspected-nso-group-imessage-zero-click-exploit/ https://citizenlab.ca/2020/12/the-great-ipwn-journalists-hac... Would Lockdown Mode prevent those? And what about the SMS equivalent? https://www.firstpoint-mg.com/blog/step-by-step-silent-sms-attacks/ https://www.firstpoint-mg.com/blog/step-by-step-silent-sms-a... Apparently the German authorities sent 440,000 "silent SMSs" for tracking purposes in 2010: https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Zoll-BKA-und-Verfassungsschutz-verschickten-2010-ueber-440-000-stille-SMS-1394593.html https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Zoll-BKA-und-Verfass...
- derefr 4y ago> They used an "invisible 0-click exploit"; where you don't even actually receive a text message or need to click any links or attachments. AFAIK, yes, because Lockdown Mode disables any non-audited plugin code from running in response to the receipt of an iMessage message (which is what "disable formats other than images, link previews" et al really means under the covers.)
- ec109685 4y agoCybercriminals are often state sponsored and do a bit of government hacking and their own hacking. This is kind of a silly comment. Making a phone harder to hack will help with foreign (and domestic) governments that buy exploits to target individuals as well as hackers trying to make money off of similar exploits.
- GuB-42 4y agoI am not saying Apple did anything wrong with their solution, I think it is great, really. I then thought: isn't that something that terrorists and pedophiles will love? If it is really that effective, I expect that soon enough, we will stories about Apple helping very very bad people who are after your children, and I don't think Apple wants to be associated with crime, and I was wondering what would Apple strategy be. And that's when I noticed that very specific claim "highly targeted cyberattacks from private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware", what are the words "private" and "mercenary" doing here? They do nothing but reduce their claims? I am not calling conspiracy here, and I really think what Apple did is great, but I suspect that specific wording is Apple being cautious, probably of potential association with crime.
- derefr 4y agoCybercriminals and terrorist organizations mostly pay the private companies Apple refers to here to do their dirty work.