Apple's iOS 11.4.1 update makes USB Restricted Mode active
With iOS 11.4.1, Apple has quietly turned on USB Restricted Mode, a feature designed to make it harder for hackers -- as well as spy and law enforcement agencies -- to gain physical access to iPhones and iPads.
A new "USB Accessories" toggle is present under the "Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode" menu. The option is off by default, meaning than if a device has been locked for an hour or more, iOS won't allow physical data connections.
"At Apple, we put the customer at the center of everything we design. We're constantly strengthening the security protections in every Apple product to help customers defend against hackers, identity thieves and intrusions into their personal data," the company said in an earlier statement to AppleInsider about the feature's planned inclusion in iOS 12. "We have the greatest respect for law enforcement, and we don't design our security improvements to frustrate their efforts to do their jobs."
Although Apple has denied any intention at interfering with law enforcement, USB Restricted Mode will inevitably make work harder for police departments and third-party forensics firms like Cellebrite and GrayShift, at least until they develop new tools or successfully pressure governments into mandating backdoors.
Cellebrite in particular is believed to be the firm the FBI used to crack the iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, allowing both Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid a protracted battle over whether the former could be forced to code a backdoor into iOS.
A number of officials in U.S. spy and law enforcement agencies have complained that internet communications are "going dark," thanks to the growing use of end-to-end encryption, which prevents even the companies employing it from intercepting data. Some politicians have called for backdoors, though nothing has come of those efforts so far.
Apple and other encryption supporters have countered by arguing that privacy is a right, and that any backdoor is bound to be discovered by malicious entities or abused even by well-meaning ones, given mass surveillance efforts by the FBI and NSA.
A new "USB Accessories" toggle is present under the "Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode" menu. The option is off by default, meaning than if a device has been locked for an hour or more, iOS won't allow physical data connections.
"At Apple, we put the customer at the center of everything we design. We're constantly strengthening the security protections in every Apple product to help customers defend against hackers, identity thieves and intrusions into their personal data," the company said in an earlier statement to AppleInsider about the feature's planned inclusion in iOS 12. "We have the greatest respect for law enforcement, and we don't design our security improvements to frustrate their efforts to do their jobs."
Although Apple has denied any intention at interfering with law enforcement, USB Restricted Mode will inevitably make work harder for police departments and third-party forensics firms like Cellebrite and GrayShift, at least until they develop new tools or successfully pressure governments into mandating backdoors.
Cellebrite in particular is believed to be the firm the FBI used to crack the iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, allowing both Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid a protracted battle over whether the former could be forced to code a backdoor into iOS.
A number of officials in U.S. spy and law enforcement agencies have complained that internet communications are "going dark," thanks to the growing use of end-to-end encryption, which prevents even the companies employing it from intercepting data. Some politicians have called for backdoors, though nothing has come of those efforts so far.
Apple and other encryption supporters have countered by arguing that privacy is a right, and that any backdoor is bound to be discovered by malicious entities or abused even by well-meaning ones, given mass surveillance efforts by the FBI and NSA.
Comments
one small change, the word BE is missing from the following paragraph.
Cellebrite in particular is believed to the firm the FBI used to crack the iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, allowing both Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid a protracted battle over whether the former could be forced to code a backdoor into iOS.
It should be:
Cellebrite in particular is believed to “BE” the firm the FBI used to crack the iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, allowing both Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid a protracted battle over whether the former could be forced to code a backdoor into iOS.
Ok, so I think this means two thing: if the toggle is to the left, then the DISABLING function is ON, and you have to unlock the iPhone to connect. And it means that if the toggle is to the left, and not green, (and thus the USB DISENABLING feature is ON) then you have to unlock your iPhone before you can use it in carplay mode. Right?
Anyone know if moving the toggle to the RIGHT to disable the disabling feature changes the text? It might ENABLE us to remember how to DISABLE the enabling feature.
Text is changing ànd rather clear. (in iOS 12 beta)
Wasn't Cellebrite itself hacked shortly after gaining publicity from the iPhone 5 unlocking incident, thereby proving Apple's point about intentional back-doors and other vulnerabilities?
Why does AI feel the need to still name the shooter ?
If you only stated his name, which I shall not, then hopefully nobody or few would know or care what the fuck you’re talking about. However, San Bernardino shooter says it all and gives it all the context and infamy this narrative needs. For the life of me I just don’t understand why the media insists on naming these assholes years after their dastardly deed. They are not prophets or martyrs or a name we should be reminded of, they are bluntly ruthless killers who should remain anonymous. Naming them does not inform us of anything of value but only elevates them to martyrdom and conveys pride back to their sick brethren.
It says so right in the title of that section : ALLOW ACCESS WHEN LOCKED
By convention, the green light of the toggle says that the statement is true for that line or any other line in that section.
In this case, you ALLOW USB Accessories ACCESS WHEN LOCKED when you toggle to green light.
Not sure but this happened just 5 days ago :
https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/07/06/nso-group-employee-allegedly-stole-attempted-to-sell-pegasus-ios-malware-for-50m