It's About Convenience vs Privacy
- Both the FBI and Apple are using a public forum to make their case in their legal dispute over iPhone security. As a result we are missing out on an opportunity to educate people about encryption and how it can be used to keep data private.
- After extensive scrutiny, I concluded that this debate isn't about "Privacy vs Security" or some "balance" that we need to find between the two.
- There is definitely a balance that needs to be set, but the balance is between "Convenience and Privacy" and I will show you how to set your own balance in this post.
Privacy in this case means the encryption of your data, to which only you hold access to the key needed to unlock the encrypted data. Convenience in this case is the choice between easily 'guessed' 4 digit pin codes that are quick and easy to enter, or a strong, virtually unguessable passphrase that is cumbersome to remember and use.
- Encryption requires a "strong" key to ensure it cannot easily be guessed.
- Strong in this case means a long string of characters that does not contain easily identifiable patterns, such as words.
- example: [y.)v_|.7)7Bl, B3h4_[%}kgv), and QG6,FN4nFAm_.]
- This form of encryption exists everywhere there it is used. Your debit card, ATM and secure websites all use it.
- Because long passsphrases are difficult to remember and burdensome to enter correctly, all these systems make use of a passphrase generator.
- A passphrase generator 'translates' a shorter code that is easy to remember into the longer code needed to represent the key to unlocking your encrypted data
- This is how we can enter a 4 digit pin code at the ATM, and have the ATM passcode generator translate that code, in combination with your card number into the true passphrase needed to unlock your safely stored financial data to dispense cash to you. Despite numerous data breaches that have resulted in billions of lost dollars, that are simply written off by banks and related corporations, we continue to use and remain accustomed to the 4 pin code. [Off topic: Maybe we value dickpics on our phones more than we do our money and identity. Or maybe dickpics are our identity?]
- Since the convenience of a passcode makes guessing the code relatively easy (4 numeric digits will take 10.000 guesses) your ATM will lock out your account after 3 incorrect pin entries.
- Apple's iPhone security architecture is very similar to this model. To provide convenience of a short 4-6 digit code as the requirement to unlock your master key, they built in modern barriers to guessing the inherently weak passcode concept.
- Apple added an option to 'erase' all data after 10 incorrect entries. A deal breaker even for the 10.000 guesses need on a 4 digit pin.
- Apple also added an increasing time delay between guesses, starting at 1 minute increments up to an hour, with the additional barrier listed above, limiting the guessing to 9 tries. The 10th try doesn't actually erase the data. It irretrievably deletes the secure key pair tied to your passcode. Meaning there is no lock left to unlock
- Now we're at the crux of the dispute: the Department of Justice wants Apple to disable their two main hurdles of convenience so FBI can electronically "guess" the passcode needed to enable the key needed to unlock the iPhone's encrypted data. They are not asking for the key, a master key, or anything else related to the core encryption. They want the 10 tries you're out and the time delay in-between guesses removed. Because the iPhone was presumably locked with a 4 digit pin code, FBI will be able to crack the pin code swiftly and thus trigger the real key to unlock the encrypted data.
- I believe both parties are disingenuous about their Motives. The Department of Justice clearly sees an opening to bypass the security marketing of iPhones running updated operating systems. Apple made quite a statement about this in 2014 when they announced:[click to expand]
- On devices running iOS 8 and later versions, your personal data is placed under the protection of your passcode. For all devices running iOS 8 and later versions, Apple will not perform iOS data extractions in response to government search warrants because the files to be extracted are protected by an encryption key that is tied to the user’s passcode, which Apple does not possess.
- Note the same language appears in Apple's Legal Process Guidelines:[click to expand]
- For all devices running iOS 8.0 and later versions, Apple will not perform iOS data extractions as data
- extraction tools are no longer effective. The files to be extracted are protected by an encryption key
- that is tied to the user’s passcode, which Apple does not possess.
- And here we read that Apple is communicating to Law Enforcement that moving forward it won't be business as usual for extracting their customer's data. Which used to be quite a lot:[click to expand]
- For iOS devices running iOS versions earlier than iOS 8.0, upon receipt of a valid search warrant issued
- upon a showing of probable cause, Apple can extract certain categories of active data from passcode
- locked iOS devices. Specifically, the user generated active files on an iOS device that are contained in
- Apple’s native apps and for which the data is not encrypted using the passcode (“user generated
- active files”), can be extracted and provided to law enforcement on external media. Apple can
- perform this data extraction process on iOS devices running iOS 4 through iOS 7. Please note the only
- categories of user generated active files that can be provided to law enforcement, pursuant to a valid
- search warrant, are: SMS, iMessage, MMS, photos, videos, contacts, audio recording, and call history.
- Apple cannot provide: email, calendar entries, or any third-party app data.
- Tim Cook is taking an important stand. But mainly to protect Apple's brand and customer promise, which is 100% marketing speak. Apple got caught in their reality distortion field we hear so much about.
- Someone at the FBI should get a promotion for figuring out how to technically and legally order Apple to disable convenience hurdles under a "one device only" clause. Brilliantly done, but using terrorism as the wedge to drive the issue is lower than whale shit on the scale of abusing the public, and victims. By their own admission they have 175 iPhones awaiting the newly devised guessing scheme, and you can be sure one one of those will contain the really interesting data they are after. Having this option to guess passcode in future cases is another benefit.
- But here's the kicker: Apple's products actually have several options for you to thwart the feds and the "bad guys" if Apple complies with the court order.
- Why Apple did not take this approach is beyond me. I am sure they considered it as an optional crisis communications strategy.
- Apple's passcode generator has an option to set a longer passcode or a very long character based passphrase.
- Utilizing a minimum of 12 character passphrase makes the 'guessing game' the FBI uses very time consuming, as it may take up to 235 years to correctly guess the pass phrase. There are many good primers on choosing a strong passphrase available.
- Bottom line: don't care about anyone unlocking your secure data on your iPhone? use 4-6 digits as your passcode. You get maximum convenience.
- Want to keep your data securely encrypted? Use a strong password. Much less convenient. But you can set options to make it somewhat more convenient: You can enable the TOUCH-ID fingerprint scanner for quick access, and when needed or desired, simply hold down the power button until the device turns off as the passphrase is required upon restart.
- You will find the option to set a strong passcode or passphrase in the settings for changing your passcode. Select Touch ID & Passcode from Settings
- Select Change Passcode and tap on Passcode Options
- Now select the type of passcode / passphrase you want, based on how YOU value convenience over privacy
- I have been an Apple customer all my life. I like the values of the company. I do not know why Mr. Cook is leading the company down this particular path, when the obvious high road is educating their customers on how to use their products tailored to their individual balance of Convenience over Privacy. If he's doing it to protect the company from disappointment about the convenience Apple marketed and the resulting mediocre privacy, then lets just forgive him and move on. The products are secure if used properly. I really think Apple customers are smart enough to understand that message if communicated properly.
- In the meantime, get cracking on a better passcode generator system.
- To Director Comey and Attorney General Lynch; shame on you for using terrorism as your media wedge to propagandize "going dark" and the "evils of encryption". I'm sure you are all very smug right now, despite knowing that you have only solved half the puzzle.
- An informed citizenry is a strong one. Share this knowledge of creating your own convenience vs privacy balance with proper use of encryption technologies.
- This is not meant to be a technical document and may contain descriptions or words that differ from their technical names
