• Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
MUST READ

Nippon Steel Solutions suffered a data breach following a zero-day attack

 | 

Iranian group Pay2Key.I2P ramps Up ransomware attacks against Israel and US with incentives for affiliates

 | 

Hackers weaponize Shellter red teaming tool to spread infostealers

 | 

Microsoft Patch Tuesday security updates for July 2025 fixed a zero-day

 | 

Italian police arrested a Chinese national suspected of cyberespionage on a U.S. warrant

 | 

U.S. CISA adds MRLG, PHPMailer, Rails Ruby on Rails, and Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

IT Worker arrested for selling access in $100M PIX cyber heist

 | 

New Batavia spyware targets Russian industrial enterprises

 | 

Taiwan flags security risks in popular Chinese apps after official probe

 | 

U.S. CISA adds Google Chromium V8 flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Hunters International ransomware gang shuts down and offers free decryption keys to all victims

 | 

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 52

 | 

Security Affairs newsletter Round 531 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

 | 

North Korea-linked threat actors spread macOS NimDoor malware via fake Zoom updates

 | 

Critical Sudo bugs expose major Linux distros to local Root exploits

 | 

Google fined $314M for misusing idle Android users' data

 | 

A flaw in Catwatchful spyware exposed logins of +62,000 users

 | 

China-linked group Houken hit French organizations using zero-days

 | 

Cybercriminals Target Brazil: 248,725 Exposed in CIEE One Data Breach

 | 

Europol shuts down Archetyp Market, longest-running dark web drug marketplace

 | 
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
  • Home
  • Breaking News
  • Digital ID
  • Apple can access your encrypted iMessages

Apple can access your encrypted iMessages

Pierluigi Paganini January 25, 2016

Apple is not able to read messages sent between devices through iMessages but it is still able to access data in the backups.

Let’s do a summary of previous events, following the Snowden‘ revelation of the global surveillance programs operated by the NSA the IT giants reacted defending their business and announcing the defense of the privacy of their customers.

IT giants started implementing end-to-end encryption for their solution in an attempt to protect their clients, on the other side the US Government and law enforcement admitted the impossibility to overwhelm the new solutions implemented by the firms and asked them to change the route.

Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton calls tech companies to work on a new Manhattan Project for Encryption,  hoping in a voluntary collaboration offered by the firms in providing back doors to their systems, but IT giants have already expressed their opposition.

The FBI Director James Comey called for tech companies currently providing users with end-to-end encryption to review “their business model” and stop implementing it.

Now the media are focusing their attention on the Apple’s iMessage service, the IT giants always highlighted that it can’t read messages sent between its devices due to the implementation of end-to-end encryption.

“If the government laid a subpoena to get iMessages, we can’t provide it,” Apple CEO Tim Cook told Charlie Rose back in 2014. “It is encrypted, and we do not have a key.”

But beware, there is a trick to gain access to the data of the unaware users whose data are stored on the servers of the company in plain text.

Users that have enabled iCloud Backup have to know that the copies of all their messages, photos and other sensitive data on their device, are encrypted on iCloud using a key managed by Apple.

Users can disable the backup feature in any moment but are cannot encrypt iCloud backups to prevent unauthorized access.

Apple imessages

As explained by the colleagues at THEHACKER NEWS, encrypted locally backup is allowed by using iTunes.
“Yes, it is possible to do encrypted non-cloud backups locally through iTunes, though it isn’t always a so obvious choice to average users.” reported THN.

Under this condition, it is still possible for law enforcement to access user data by asking Apple access to the backup.

“Your iMessages and FaceTime calls are your business, not ours. Your communications are protected by end-to-end encryption across all your devices when you use iMessage and FaceTime, and with iOS and watchOS, your iMessages are also encrypted on your device in such a way that they can’t be accessed without your passcode. Apple has no way to decrypt iMessage and FaceTime data when it’s in transit between devices. So unlike other companies’ messaging services, Apple doesn’t scan your communications, and we wouldn’t be able to comply with a wiretap order even if we wanted to. While we do back up iMessage and SMS messages for your convenience using iCloud Backup, you can turn it off whenever you want. And we don’t store FaceTime calls on any servers.” reads the Apple’s Privacy page

If you want to protect your data from prying eyes:

  • Backup your personal data locally through Apple’s iTunes.
  • Turn off iCloud Backup. Go to Settings → iCloud → Storage & Backup → iCloud Backup.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – iMessage, end-to-end-encryption)


facebook linkedin twitter

end-to-end-encryption. encryption iMessage law enforcement privacy

you might also like

Pierluigi Paganini July 09, 2025
Nippon Steel Solutions suffered a data breach following a zero-day attack
Read more
Pierluigi Paganini July 09, 2025
Iranian group Pay2Key.I2P ramps Up ransomware attacks against Israel and US with incentives for affiliates
Read more

leave a comment

newsletter

Subscribe to my email list and stay
up-to-date!

    recent articles

    Nippon Steel Solutions suffered a data breach following a zero-day attack

    Data Breach / July 09, 2025

    Iranian group Pay2Key.I2P ramps Up ransomware attacks against Israel and US with incentives for affiliates

    Malware / July 09, 2025

    Hackers weaponize Shellter red teaming tool to spread infostealers

    Malware / July 09, 2025

    Microsoft Patch Tuesday security updates for July 2025 fixed a zero-day

    Security / July 08, 2025

    Italian police arrested a Chinese national suspected of cyberespionage on a U.S. warrant

    Intelligence / July 08, 2025

    To contact me write an email to:

    Pierluigi Paganini :
    pierluigi.paganini@securityaffairs.co

    LEARN MORE

    QUICK LINKS

    • Home
    • Cyber Crime
    • Cyber warfare
    • APT
    • Data Breach
    • Deep Web
    • Digital ID
    • Hacking
    • Hacktivism
    • Intelligence
    • Internet of Things
    • Laws and regulations
    • Malware
    • Mobile
    • Reports
    • Security
    • Social Networks
    • Terrorism
    • ICS-SCADA
    • POLICIES
    • Contact me

    Copyright@securityaffairs 2024

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT