Apple CEO Tim Cook: FBI's Backdoor Would Be 'Software Equivalent of Cancer'

[sudo1996]

Just make the software, make sure nobody takes it home, and steal the iPhone's information in a closed room. He's probably afraid to do it because then people would know that the iPhone can be broken.

And for the last time, "backdoor" is the wrong term for what he's describing. I know he's just saying it to scare people and take blame off of Apple. It's apparent that someone (Apple or other) can make an alternate iOS and steal information by installing it, so that itself is the security vulnerability. Apple is being asked to exploit a known vulnerability, not create a new one. A backdoor would be if Apple knowingly put a vulnerability into iOS so it could be later exploited.

I'm sick of this guy's BS.

 

[budselectjr]

Hey Tim,

I have Stage IV Pancreatic cancer. Doubt it.

I think a more appropriate analogy would be something that can spread through contact/exposure. Maybe you are too sensitive to the mention of AIDS/HIV.

Your passive aggressive homophobic comment is worse.

 

[CalWizrd]

Your passive aggressive homophobic comment is worse.

What?

Cancer doesn't spread through contact (or any other reason). HIV does.

 

[D3lta]

Could someone explain to me the situation with backing up to iCloud? If the government didn't reset the password to the account, Apple would have been able to download the data on the phone and give it to the FBI once it was backed up on a known hotspot?

Is that saying that although Apple has no way to get into my phone without my passcode, whenever I back up the cloud, Apple has the ability to download the data that includes my texts, photos, etc... and hand it over to the FBI regardless?

 

[AFDoc]

Hey Tim,

I have Stage IV Pancreatic cancer. Doubt it.

I think a more appropriate analogy would be something that can spread through contact/exposure. Maybe you are too sensitive to the mention of AIDS/HIV.

Oh get over yourself..... lots of people have cancer you're not special.

 

[\-V-/]

Your passive aggressive homophobic comment is worse.

Yeah no kidding. There's some sensitive people in here.

 

[CalWizrd]

Oh get over yourself..... lots of people have cancer you're not special.

You seem to demonstrate a lot of hostility and anger. Maybe it would be more appropriate to get over yourself.

Never considered myself special (well, actually, I do, but not for the cancer).

 

[Brookzy]

Could someone explain to me the situation with backing up to iCloud? If the government didn't reset the password to the account, Apple would have been able to download the data on the phone and give it to the FBI once it was backed up on a known hotspot?

Is that saying that although Apple has no way to get into my phone without my passcode, whenever I back up the cloud, Apple has the ability to download the data that includes my texts, photos, etc... and hand it over to the FBI regardless?

Yep. With a warrant, Apple will decrypt your iCloud backups and give them to the authorities, and they did in this case for the backups they did have.

 

[sudo1996]

Yep. With a warrant, Apple will decrypt your iCloud backups and give them to the authorities, and they did in this case for the backups they did have.

Decrypt? As in they have the private keys stored somewhere, or they break it?

 

[Brookzy]

Decrypt? As in they have the private keys stored somewhere, or they break it?

Apple has the keys to decrypt iCloud backups. It says so in their iOS security white paper, and on the security pages on their website.

I'm personally uncomfortable with it, and there is a well worn debate on this issue in another thread on here.

 

[mrgraff]

What?

Cancer doesn't spread through contact (or any other reason). HIV does.

Yeah, but there's plenty of other diseases that spread through contact. No one is necessarily calling you homophobic, or even asserting that you meant to come off sounding that way. "passive aggressive" was a good call, I think you went with HIV subconsciously because Tim Cook is gay.

I admit I don't know you, so it could be a total coincidence, or maybe HIV is the most well-known disease in your opinion. Whatever; don't feel that it's necessary to respond to me by the way.

Everybody is getting too offended (including me) let's all pause for a second?

 

[DoctorKrabs]

I think almost everyone commenting about the metaphor didn't watch the whole interview.

 

[AFDoc]

someone's been reading too many Steve Jobs biographies.
Hyperboles only work if theyre funny or actually related to some way to the issue at hand.
The FBI isn't asking for a 'master key'. They're asking apple for a lifeline as they try to brute force the passcode.
Not to break the encryption.
Nothing groundbreaking here.

I agree with Bill Gates on this - Apple should look to the supreme court for guidance. But a sideshow like this, in my opinion, is a bit over-dramatic and uncalled for.

If you believe that's all they want you're the most kind of ignorant person....... They already have several iPhones in line to open and examine.......
[doublepost=1456363847][/doublepost]

Jony Ive is the hardware equivalent of cancer...making the battery thinner and everything.

Now THIS is pure GOLD!!!

 

[Rogifan]

Just make the software, make sure nobody takes it home, and steal the iPhone's information in a closed room. He's probably afraid to do it because then people would know that the iPhone can be broken.

And for the last time, "backdoor" is the wrong term for what he's describing. I know he's just saying it to scare people and take blame off of Apple. It's apparent that someone (Apple or other) can make an alternate iOS and steal information by installing it, so that itself is the security vulnerability. Apple is being asked to exploit a known vulnerability, not create a new one. A backdoor would be if Apple knowingly put a vulnerability into iOS so it could be later exploited.

I'm sick of this guy's BS.

How is it a known vulnerability? Apple would have to sign the FW in order for it to be installed on the phone.

 

[AFDoc]

I don't like how he's using a terrible disease as a metaphor for this scenario, but that's just me.

You'll be ok.

Oh and full disclosure.... my father died of cancer. I have ZERO issue with him using the analogy.
[doublepost=1456364063][/doublepost]

Just make the software, make sure nobody takes it home, and steal the iPhone's information in a closed room. He's probably afraid to do it because then people would know that the iPhone can be broken.

And for the last time, "backdoor" is the wrong term for what he's describing. I know he's just saying it to scare people and take blame off of Apple. It's apparent that someone (Apple or other) can make an alternate iOS and steal information by installing it, so that itself is the security vulnerability. Apple is being asked to exploit a known vulnerability, not create a new one. A backdoor would be if Apple knowingly put a vulnerability into iOS so it could be later exploited.

I'm sick of this guy's BS.

LoL.... so you feel you know more about what it "is" than the man that runs the company? Have a bit of an over inflated view of yourself do we? Overall I'm no fan of Apple's but with this stand I am now a fan for life. I'm in the military and have seen my brothers and sisters in arms die..... over and over again so Tim protecting my privacy..... is awesome.

 

[maxsix]

In typical fashion Apple as a corporation is grandstanding.

Why not use their other practice, of working in silence behind closed doors. Certainly there's a way to work in secret with the government, without all the showing off in public. But no, instead they're busy self congratulating, posturing and acting superior.

Claiming to put privacy and customers first they know they have a huge number of users that believe Apple's every word. Leveraging their followers Apple knows no boundaries. Once again their culture of narcissism raises it's ugly repulsive head.

 

[AFDoc]

You seem to demonstrate a lot of hostility and anger. Maybe it would be more appropriate to get over yourself.

Never considered myself special (well, actually, I do, but not for the cancer).

If the fact someone used a term and you get butt hurt... then you choose to post that butt hurt, don't cry when people call you out. My father died of cancer, Mother in law has breast cancer, brother had a cancerous tumor removed from hip.... My family and life has been touch by cancer over and over and I have no issue with what he said..... you do fine but don't get even more butt hurt when some one challenges you. Free speech is awesome.... Tim used it, you did and so did I!!

 

[\-V-/]

In typical fashion Apple as a corporation is grandstanding.

Why not use their other practice, of working in silence behind closed doors. Certainly there's a way to work in secret with the government, without all the showing off in public. But no, instead they're busy self congratulating, posturing and acting superior.

Claiming to put privacy and customers first they know they have a huge number of users that believe Apple's every word. Leveraging their followers Apple knows no boundaries. Once again their culture of narcissism raises it's ugly repulsive head.

The FBI brought this public, not Apple. Your soapbox rant is for nothing.

 

[AdeFowler]

Hey Tim,

I have Stage IV Pancreatic cancer. Doubt it.

I think a more appropriate analogy would be something that can spread through contact/exposure. Maybe you are too sensitive to the mention of AIDS/HIV.

You have my sincere and deepest sympathy. I lost a close friend to pancreatic cancer on February 14 and attended his funeral on Monday. A truly dreadful disease.

I'm not offended by the wording personally but I think it's a poor analogy and doesn't help Apple at all. I can't help feeling that Tim blew a golden opportunity to get Apple's message across. I think the use of the word cancer will, unfortunately, grab all the headlines.

 

[Rogifan]

In typical fashion Apple as a corporation is grandstanding.

Why not use their other practice, of working in silence behind closed doors. Certainly there's a way to work in secret with the government, without all the showing off in public. But no, instead they're busy self congratulating, posturing and acting superior.

Claiming to put privacy and customers first they know they have a huge number of users that believe Apple's every word. Leveraging their followers Apple knows no boundaries. Once again their culture of narcissism raises it's ugly repulsive head.

The FBI chose to make this public not Apple. Save your hatred and faux outrage for something else.

 

[Brookzy]

In typical fashion Apple as a corporation is grandstanding.

Why not use their other practice, of working in silence behind closed doors. Certainly there's a way to work in secret with the government, without all the showing off in public. But no, instead they're busy self congratulating, posturing and acting superior.

Claiming to put privacy and customers first they know they have a huge number of users that believe Apple's every word. Leveraging their followers Apple knows no boundaries. Once again their culture of narcissism raises it's ugly repulsive head.

How can back room dealing possibly be good for society? Debate should be embraced. Having millions of people think critically about issues can only lead to a better outcome than one borne out of secret deals.

(Oh, and the FBI went public with this in search of legal precedent, not Apple.)

 

[apolloa]

I find that incredibly distasteful to compare a software patch to friggin cancer!! Hardly the same bloody thing TIM! Well it suites his maturity I guess to come out with distasteful taglines like this. I don't believe he thinks before opening his mouth ever.

 

[AFDoc]

As a military member, supporter of the Constitution, Apple user, and American I support Apple and Tim on this issue. My father also died of cancer and many people in my family have.... so please people... if you're crying about him calling what the Gov wants them to do a cancer ffs why? Would you prefer another word that denotes an insidious problem that could cause wide spread damage? Or should he make up a word?

 

[RedOrchestra]

After watching this interview, I'm more convinced than ever, that Apple is incapable of writing that "cancer" software and Cook is just trying to protect the corporation from public humiliation.

On a side note, can you imagine an interview with Cook and Ive, hosted by Margaret Atwood - you would take that monotone threesome to your grave.

 

[Smigit]

The FBI isn't asking for a 'master key'. They're asking apple for a lifeline as they try to brute force the passcode.
Not to break the encryption.
Nothing groundbreaking here.

That's just semantics but. If you remove all the safeguards preventing a brute force attack, then you may as well just unencrypt the phone for the FBI. Getting into it won't be difficult and from there they have access to everything anyway assuming that the vast majority of users have a 4 or 6 digit pin to unlock the phone, which would make a brute force very quick to perform.