The news related to the request made by the FBI to Apple of unlocking the iPhone of Syed Farook, one of the San Bernardino shooters has raised the debate on the efficiency of encryption measures implemented to protect users’ privacy.
Apple’s CEO was categorical on the subject:
“The only way to get information — at least currently, the only way we know — would be to write a piece of software that we view as sort of the equivalent of cancer. We think it’s bad news to write. We would never write it,” Tim Cook explained in the interview.
While the US Government invites the company to implement a mechanism to allow law enforcement the access to mobile devices during the investigation on suspects, Apple is working on a new iPhone that will be unhackable even by the experts of the company.
According to the New York Times, Apple is studying new security features will not allow the use of hacking techniques to bypass the passcode that protects iPhone and iPad.
“Apple engineers have begun developing new security measures that would make it impossible for the government to break into a locked iPhone using methods similar to those now at the center of a court fight in California, according to people close to the company and security experts.” states a blog post published on the NYT.
The new iPhone will not allow law enforcement and intelligence agencies to bypass security measures implemented by Apple.
The US authorities have requested Apple to unlock 12 more iPhone devices, but if the company Apple agrees to one request, there is the concrete risk that it will be a huge number of similar requests.
Clearly Apple is also trying to benefit the story, refusing the FBI’s request it will reinforce its image of privacy with its customers.
“For all of those people who want to have a voice but they’re afraid, we are standing up, and we are standing up for our customers because protecting them we view as our job,” added Tim Cook in an interview with ABC News.
(Security Affairs – New Iphone, hacking)