National Security Agency Locked Out of Apple iPhone
Could National Security Be At Stake
After the release of the iPhone 6 models, the internet is a buzz trying to bring down the product. If it is not the iOS flaws, it is the bendgate or the problems faced with the Touch ID. There is some negative concern or the other regarding these smartphone models.
According to the New York Times, the iPhone 6 has presented a major problem to the National Security Agency (NSA) in the way of interrupting its investigation abilities. The encryption of data of the iPhone users is a cause for concern for NSA. The user's emails, contacts and photos are encrypted by a unique system. Apple says that they will not possess any of that information.
This unique system is a complex mathematical algorithm that creates a code unique to the user. If Apple has to present information to the intelligence agency due to a court order, it will give the agency a set of 6 alphanumeric pass code; lowercase letters and numbers and will ask the agency to decode the emails, contacts and photos by cracking the code or by obtaining it from the owner of the phone.
To try all the combinations to decode the information will take more than five and a half years, according to Apple. The director of the FBI, James B. Comey, in a press conference on Sept. 25, 2014 spoke on the terror threats from the Islamic State. He stated that his main concern was that Apple is marketing its product without concern by allowing people to hold themselves beyond the law.
According to Comey, kidnapped victims were found from the contents of seized phones and sometimes when the victims were not found, parents would question him with tears "what do you mean you can't decode the contents of a phone".
"The notion that someone would market a closet that could never be opened -- even if it involves a case involving a child kidnapper and a court order; to me does not make any sense", he said.
This is one of the several technologies marketed by Apple that is designed to defeat the NSA as well as the court order to turn over the information to the intelligence agencies. Apple declined to make any statements.
The NSA's main concern is that terrorists will figure it out and keep data on an iPhone 6. One official stated that it's like posting an advertisement how to avoid surveillance; even legal surveillance.
The former contractor of NSA Edward J. Snowden killed all efforts to expand the law and made nations around the world suspicious of American hardware and software. They have an impression that every system in America has a back door for American intelligence and law enforcement.
Personal privacy is the main concern of a smartphone user and surviving in the global market depends on convincing the customer. Apple's main business is to sell devices and not make profits selling user information to advertisers, said Timothy D. Cook the CEO of Apple.
According to Jonathan Zdziarski, a security researcher the encryption system is like a series of lockers. In the previous version of the iOS at least one locker was unlocked and information like the call log, photos notes could be obtained. Now Apple has stopped using the locker system, so to get into the locker it has to be broken.
The new iOS 8 protects information stored on the device not on the iCloud so Apple can still give certain information to the government when the request is made. Google also is bringing out smartphones with default encryption enable.
According to Zdziarski the new system of encryption in the iPhones were blown out of proportion, because there are many ways that the law enforcement agencies that can get customer data by requesting information on call records and geo-locations. He goes on to add that iPhone is not going to wreck a lot of cases. There are many logs to access like the call logs, email logs, iCloud and Gmail logs.
Moreover, the NSA has its own system of decoding anything with its supercomputers.
