Apple, Alchemy, and Access to Our Lives…

Apple have been ordered to cooperate and help the FBI get into the iOS device of a known terrorist involved in a shooting in the USA.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/22/tim-cook-apple-refusal-unlock-iphone-fbi-civil-liberties

From the way this has been reported in much of the media, it would seem that Apple’s position, as set out by its CEO Tim Cook, is completely unreasonable. Donald Trump certainly thinks so! But actually Cook is dead right. Let me try and explain what some of the general media don’t seem to be able to communicate.

Apple software has a digital copyright system which means that it can only be loaded on to an iOS device (iPhone, iPad etc.) from their App store. So you can’t just make a clone of their Operating System (iOS) with a few subtle tweaks (such as disabling the security systems built into it). Well, technically you can, but you won’t be able to install it on to the device, unless it’s a so-called Jailbroken phone and then you might be in with a chance, but that’s a whole different ball game and beyond the scope of this post.

All Apple devices give their user/owner the option of a passcode lock on the keypad – this used to be a 4 digit PIN, on more recent software releases it’s become a much more secure 6 digit PIN. Why is it much more secure? Because there are just 9999 choices for a 4 digit PIN and a computer can rattle through all of those in no time at all (literally) and try them all, whereas 999999 choices at least presents a bit of a challenge. Not much of one to be frank, but it does take 100 times longer! But if an Apple device believes (after three failed attempts I think?) that someone is trying to guess its passcode/PIN then it locks itself more permanently. This prevents this so-called “brute force attack” (in other words, just trying every combination one after the other until you hit the right one).

The FBI are asking Apple to make a version of their operating system without this safeguard. They promise that it will only ever be used by them to help combat the ungodly and Apple, for some curious reason, is not so sure and takes the view that once this unlocked version of their software is out there, it will be leaked. Every shred of evidence of what happens to software that’s supposed to remain private would tend to back up Apple’s viewpoint.

So Apple say, and I paraphrase, “Sorry FBI, but if we do this then we are allowing ANYONE to access any iPhone, iPad etc. any time and we’re just not going to do that because our hundreds of millions of users around the world* will feel we have betrayed their personal security”. And they’re right – just try and find any sensible Apple device users who don’t bother with the passcode lock, and I suspect you’ll take some time…

The reportage of all of this makes the FBI’s request to help combat terrorism seem so reasonable, but few seem to be able to explain why what’s being requested is quite literally the means to turn base metal into gold. From each and every Apple users’ bank accounts for starters… If this software were to get out there then every stolen phone would yield up its secrets. There’s a good reason why iPhone theft (for example) has generally fallen since these smart phones first came out – it’s because they’re far harder to turn into “value” because they come with these safeguards, and others, such as GPS tracking and remote wipe.

Apple (and the other smart phone manufacturers) are doing a great job in making the theft of their phones less fruitful for the ungodly, and the irony here is that the FBI are actually asking Apple to take steps that would dramatically increase criminal activity.

It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad that apparently no-one making these decisions in the FBI actually has a clue how tech works or, perhaps worse, genuinely believes that this secret version of iOS would not be leaked (or, to credit the “perp” with some acumen, sold to the highest bidder) within minutes.

*http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/26/10835748/apple-devices-active-1-billion-iphone-ipad-ios

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