Someone explain to me.......

[Techno]

This 'ere iPhone, that the FBI wanted Apple to 'get them in to'.....
And Apple refused, 'cos they don't want ALL folk to feel their privacy is being threatened, and their security compromised by giving the authorities a back door, to an item that's sold as totally hack proof.

Have I got that bit right ?

If not.......Couldn't Apple just have unlocked this single phone, given the authorities the required information FROM the phone, without giving their trade secrets away ?

Or were the FBI asking for blanket access to all iPhones.........I'm confused (Techno's default setting.)

Hope that makes sense. 

Cheers - Phil

[jimduncanuk]

You seemed to ask three questions.

My answers could be:

Perhaps, perhaps and I don't know.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

The FBI want access to all...
I'm sorry, the nice men in grey suits have just had a word and say they have no way influenced me to say that they have no desire to access anyone's information.

[Ithoriel]

My understanding is that the FBI wanted Apple to craft a new software version for the iPhone that would allow unlimited attempts to enter the passcode, allowing brute force cracking of the phone's security.

Apple argued that this would allow the FBI to do the same to any iPhone and that the FBI could not guarantee that the software would not be used illegally by individuals or the FBI itself.

The FBI now say they have an alternative way to crack the phone's encryption, provided by a third part.

Frankly if you have the physical device and can't crack it given enough time you aren't trying.

I suspect the FBI are happy to drop things given the negative reaction to their request.

[Techno]

Thanks all ! 

Cheers - Phil.

[d_Guy]

Frankly if you have the physical device and can't crack it given enough time you aren't trying.

Seems right to me - the four digit code is stored somewhere!
But probably encrypted - so many long nights.

[Subedai]

I've also read that Windows 10 also has the ability to monitor peoples activity and store it remotely for future reference should the opportunity need arise. How true it is I don't know but in this day and age of doing things for 'your personal security' as decreed by the powers that be, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Not that I'm going all conspiracy theory or anything.

[Leon]

I followed some of it, and Apple's argument was that there is no method for getting into a locked iPhone, especially not one which may have third-party apps installed that may delete the contents of the phone when hacked.  Their claim was that by creating a backdoor into the phone, they would have to write a piece of code that compromised the security of every iPhone on the planet and that they couldn't guarantee that that piece of code wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.  I wasn't entirely convinced, but John Oliver did a good segment about it a few weeks ago.

Couldn't find the original video, but this shows it:

The government's argument was that they should have the right to access the phone in the interests of national security, so that they can find out who the terrorists were talking to and potentially find other threats.

In the end, a third-party company in Israel of all places has managed to access the phone for them.  What this means for the phone security I don't really know.  I'd imagine that the whole thing will now be reversed, with Apple asking the FBI/third-party for info on how they got it so that Apple can fix the flaw.

[Raider4]

I've also read that Windows 10 also has the ability to monitor peoples activity and store it remotely for future reference should the opportunity need arise. How true it is I don't know but in this day and age of doing things for 'your personal security' as decreed by the powers that be, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

This page details what Windows 10 does and does not 'phone home'.

Quite invasive, by the look of things.

Cheers, Martyn

[Techno]

Seems right to me - the four digit code is stored somewhere!
But probably encrypted - so many long nights.

Don't most modern mobile 'phones' have some sort of pin number for access ?...I'd always assumed they had. 

What makes this new iPhone different ? (Ah, Leon's just explained that.)

I've also read that Windows 10 also has the ability to monitor peoples activity and store it remotely for future reference should the opportunity need arise. How true it is I don't know but in this day and age of doing things for 'your personal security' as decreed by the powers that be, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.
Not that I'm going all conspiracy theory or anything.

Heard the same thing, Sub.....But like you, I've not the slightest clue if it's true or not......Again...I'd assumed 'they've' been able to monitor and store anything they wanted to, already.....Perhaps Windows 10 is supposed to do it more easily ?
(Feel free to go all conspiracy.... )

Cheers - Phil

[fred.]

Apple could access the data on that iPhone - especially as it is an older model. But the FBI wanted a method to do this themselves at any time on any phone - this is what Apple said no to, and rightly so  ( he says typing on his iPad!)

Apparently the most common way of accessing the data is to just get a warrant to get the backups of the data from Apple's servers. So the law enforcement guys don't even need the phone!

The code to access the phone ( or password on a computer ) is a fairly minor barrier if that is all that protects the data, as you can access the data directly - this may require extra hardware or software. But if the data on the phone is encrypted by that same code, then you must have the code to access the data in any way.  Sometimes the passcode can be set to wipe the data after a number of failed attempts.

It's not been reported that well - probably as its technically complex and involves lots of people's favourite button pushes.

[Westmarcher]

[Ithoriel]

If you have the actual phone you should be able to clone it multiple times and just keep trying passwords.

After 10 failed goes the clone is wiped by it's security app.
Wheel in next clone.
Repeat until successful.

Time consuming ... unless the password turns out to be "password" or similar! You'd be surprised how often that's the case. Which is why the FBI wanted it unlocked for them, at a guess.

I'd say that if anyone really wants your digital data badly enough they can get it. Can't imagine I'm of enough interest to anybody

[d_Guy]

If you actually have the iPhone, which the FBI does, there is a second path available and that is through the fingerprint sensor. Even if it has never been set-up or enabled - the possibility for unlocking must certainly exist. Incidently I read recently that someone had spoofed (fooled) the sensor with a lifted fingerprint of the owner! This caused me to disable that feature on my iPhone (it's often a damned nusience anyway particularly if you have been eating fried chicken!)

[Subedai]

Don't most modern mobile 'phones' have some sort of pin number for access ?...I'd always assumed they had. 

What makes this new iPhone different ? (Ah, Leon's just explained that.)

Heard the same thing, Sub.....But like you, I've not the slightest clue if it's true or not......Again...I'd assumed 'they've' been able to monitor and store anything they wanted to, already.....Perhaps Windows 10 is supposed to do it more easily ?
(Feel free to go all conspiracy.... )

Cheers - Phil

After all the stuff I've read about -but can't say in case THEY are listening- I'm telling you, conspiracy is my middle name!