rajesh_security_k

Unlike previous attempts to pass policy on privileged software backdoors, it would be up to companies to navigate an appropriate path to requested data on their own systems, the report said.


In a related development, the Justice Department on Monday was granted a motion to suspend the San Bernardino proceedings, claiming an outside party presented a potential method of unlocking Farook's iPhone. Federal Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym subsequently cancelled an evidentiary hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

I absolutely don't understand how they can make this work.  I can use my own AES-128/AES-256 implementation, and so can my friends.  This software can run on any device.  And we can send encrypted messages messages to each other without any manufacturer knowing anything about it.
How on earth are you going to prevent that?  Have problems exchanging keys?  Use RSA/ECC certificates and DH.

Yes, I know what I am talking about; I have been working in security for 17 years.

Also, the whole thing about not being able to read keys from inside the silicon is absolute baloney.  Decapping and reading processor internal OTP has been around for a long time.  Do you think the NSA will actually allow an unreadable chip to exist?

This was a legal battle to begin with: FBI wanted a perfect case to get the public on its side.  Child pornography, terrorists, mass murderers, etc. make my hair stand on end and make me extremely angry.  And FBI played its cards well, including disabling access by changing the iCloud password.

The FBI just wanted to twist Apple's arm and teach it a lesson and force a precedence once and for all.  Didn't turn out that well.