iOS 11.4 Disables Lightning Connector After 7 Days, Limiting Law Enforcement Access

[Abazigal]

Yeah, there are never any reasons for the government to need access. Certainly not thousands of children molested and their exploited photos traded around with pedophiles. There's no white collar crime or terrorism in the world. Yup, you've got it, there's never a good reason that they may need to access a device. Never.

You are missing the point here.

The issue isn’t whether the government ought to have access to our data, but that this ultimately involves taking advantage of a flaw in the design of iOS. And if the government can crack our iPhones this way, it stands to reason that any other organisation with access to similar technology can do the same as well.

This isn’t as much showing the government the middle finger as much as it is making your own product more secure. What respectable organisation would knowingly leave their products unpatched knowingly fully well that there was a flaw with it?

The government has its job to do. So does Apple.

 

[DotCom2]

For GOD's sake why don't any of you ACTUALLY read the entire article!!!!
You can still access the iPhone/ipad during lockout...you just unlock it then you can use an accessory or cable to connect to a computer etc.
[doublepost=1525808801][/doublepost]

Sorry Mom, I mis-read the article.

 

[fairuz]

And how do you do this without unlocking?

You might be able to set up a MITM NTP server that feeds the wrong time (off by several days), but smart NTP clients won't actually accept such a lie, so this probably wouldn't work.

Are you sure? I don't think NTP uses any crypto for verifying the server, but I've never tried.
[doublepost=1525817248][/doublepost]

This isn’t as much showing the government the middle finger as much as it is making your own product more secure. What respectable organisation would knowingly leave their products unpatched knowingly fully well that there was a flaw with it?

The government has its job to do. So does Apple.

It's true. They need to keep their mouths shut next time they get a cracking tool set up.

 

[MacBH928]

7 days? My 4-number pin code will break in a lot shorter time

 

[NufSaid]

Love it. I would love to see it lowered.

 

[nsayer]

The sad thing with our new digital world, is that when we pass, all of our profiles will remain up and look like we’re just not answering. And I think in a way, it’s good to leave them up. But to be able to attach a note is good.

We're wandering way off topic here, but my preferred solution to this is that I've designated my nephew as my executor. He's as technically proficient as I am, and he'll have enough information to wrap everything up properly.

It's a good idea to have more than just the legal portion of a will. It's good to have other less formal notes about what you want done after you're gone.

 

[Tech198]

I like this, but all this "enforcement" methods shouldn't be needed if the there was a limitation of what the governments would actually do when they say it.

I'd imagine after a user enters their pass-code, or connected to the Mac would re-enable and therefore be a "way in" by the law (I mean when the FBI confiscates stuff, they don't exactly pick and choose what they wanna grab..)

What's easy for the user to get back in, would be easy for them too..

(Lets face it, if the port remains disabled, it wouldn't much of a phone if the owner cannot even charge it)

It's probably become this bad, that Apple even must resort of this method. Just to protect out security and privacy.

Like any restrictions, they'll be bypassed by law.... They always seem to.

Love it. I would love to see it lowered.

I would to, but it would cause havoc to users... 7 days it probably about ok.... because an iPhone would last easily 1 week if not used much *at the rare cases* I know because my phone spends most of its time in standby and it only needs charging via Lightning cable once a week.

Most would be using their phone more often. but that doesn't mean their phone would need charging every 2nd day.

Restrict the port further to say 3 days, i reckon users would have something to say about disliking that. The idea that you must "disable something" first would always be a hurdle and evenually cause more of a nuisance than just good security.

 

[MikeSmoke]

I haven’t read through all the comments but if I were given the option I would have this on ALL THE TIME!!!

 

[whitedragon101]

It's at least 80 milliseconds to check each single key. At least almost a day to check a million keys. 144 years for random six digits and lowercase / uppercase letters.

All the greykey news articles said they could crack a 6 digit passcode in 3 days

Can't be done, can't be done and it can't be done!
Please do not encourage this person who thinks that are a tech god and in fact i believe that are do not know a thing about what they claim.

I didn't think so either but he seems to think he has done it

 

[RickInHouston]

That's so cool. iOS 18 can disable itself after 7 attempts and Android p can call a restaurant, speak to a live person and make a reservation for you - in the background - and then let you know.

Uh, okay.

 

[x-evil-x]

An unintended downside: imagine you have a close friend or family member pass away. You/their family want to access their devices afterwards for photos, remembrance, information about their final days, etc. Absent the biometric and passcode (which I am assuming you don't have) you will need the cord access to get in. With a billion devices out there, I am thinking this will happen more frequently than the law enforcement access it is intended to prevent.

And to anyone who wonders why this would even be necessary, I submit you have not suddenly lost a loved one. Not uncommon to go looking for answers or solace in their devices, notify friends of the passing, etc. Asking people to try to get in there within 7 days isn't always realistic or feasible.

I know my moms passcode. But yea I think family members should know each other’s.

 

[kahkityoong]

After reading all the comments... WHAT SORT OF STUFF ARE YOU ALL HIDING IN YOUR PHONES?

What are you so scared of?

Nude selfies that girls I sleep with send me.

 

[drumcat]

Why not do it after 10 guesses, like the wipe feature?

 

[bbednarz]

Apple just gave me another reason to never buy another Apple product. Bye!

I've seen some strange comments on here, but I think this one takes the cake.

 

[vvswarup]

Do you want overreaching government regulations because this is how you get overreaching government regulations.

This serves no purpose than to stifle the lawful ability of the government to obtain and execute search warrants. Apple would be far better served in obtaining legislation to prevent searches without approval of a judge than pissing off local, state, and federal law enforcement.

Which is why Apple's current stance is stupid.
It will force lawmakers to force Apple to introduce vulnerabilities.

Why do you think those lawmakers who are punishing Apple with tough laws even have a job in the first place? It’s because the American people voted for them and it’s on the American people to decide if those lawmakers should continue to have a job as an elected official in the United States federal government. No lawmaker will force Apple to introduce these vulnerabilities if the American people vote those lawmakers out of office.

The government is supposed to be afraid of the populace, not the other way around. It’s pretty clear that it’s the latter scenario that’s prevalent these days, which is a testament to how much power the government already has. The government doesn’t need any more power.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

This will not work for people too lazy to make complex enough passwords. Which is probably the majority of people, even criminals.

 

[JimmyHook]

Take off the tinfoil hat. The government doesn't care about you. They don't care what's on your phone. You're a nobody as far as they're concerned. Unless you're trading child porn, selling secrets, committing acts of terrorism, or other crimes, they don't care.

But you'd rather let all pedophiles run free and abuse children. You sound like a great human.

Just because I don’t break the law doesn’t mean I am ambivalent about the government accessing my data. I can be a law-abider and someone who values privacy

 

[bigchief]

After reading all the comments... WHAT SORT OF STUFF ARE YOU ALL HIDING IN YOUR PHONES?

What are you so scared of?

Oh nothing, except the password to every website you use.

 

[tooloud10]

For those wanting to get all ideological about this, police can look at your home, mail, and phone calls with a warrant. I don't see why this is any different.

The law allows LE access to those things if they have the means to look at them. The law does not guarantee their ability to interpret what they find.

So yeah, a warrant can give them access to my iPhone, but it doesn't require me or anyone else to make sense of it for them.

 

[bigchief]

Personal stuff. No one needs to see my personal photos, my email addresses, contacts, and others.

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”- Edward Snowden

To me it would be like handing the keys to your house to a total stranger and say have a look around.

 

[Mirice99]

if Your a child pornographer then the IPhone is the best choice for you to hide kiddie porn.

 

[tooloud10]

For christ sake quit trolling this guy. If he says he can do it, let's just assume he can.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If there's one thing the Internet has taught me over the last few decades, it's to not take everyone's bold claims as fact.

 

[SqB]

Just
Remove the
Stupid
Lightning
Port
Already
!

 

[tooloud10]

I’ve been there. With them having just died moments before. People calling their cell phone and texting. And responding to the messages asking them to call so we can explain the situation.

After all the family and friends were aware, we updated their Facebook with a simple note. Because messages kept pouring in.

Sorry, I don't like this at all. If you ever come into possession of my phone after my death, I don't want/need you posting any simple notes to my FB account.

If the device had been locked down too tightly, we wouldn’t have been able to speak with his wife who was out of state. And she would have had to contact us, which might have been months since they weren’t on daily speaking terms. A separation, but still trying.

So that could have delayed a lot of important things. Because we didn’t have her contact info.

It never crossed your mind that maybe the deceased wouldn't want you using his personal phone to speak to the wife from whom he was separated?

Imagine someone’s wife finding out that her husband is dead after he’s already been cremated. Just because they’re separated, doesn’t mean there isn’t love. It is only unfortunate that they were unable to work things out before he died. He loved her. And from what I understand, I believe she still cared.

We kept his phone charged, and answered calls for a few weeks. And then put it away. It’s the right thing to do, to allow others the closure.

Dude, that's not for you to decide. This is WAY over the line.

The sad thing with our new digital world, is that when we pass, all of our profiles will remain up and look like we’re just not answering. And I think in a way, it’s good to leave them up. But to be able to attach a note is good.

For example, if you don’t have my passwords, then I have to manually authorize a profile comment someone may try to post on my Facebook.

If I die, the only way you’re notifying my friends or family (depending on who I’m with at the time) is if you can get into my phone or computer.

I don’t have a handwritten log of contact information for anyone anymore.

Surely it's against the most basic of policies at your place of business to respond to calls on a deceased person's cell phone for several weeks?

 

[flipperfeet]

Nice, an update that "bricks" $30,000 GrayKeys instead of iPhones.