After buying the new iPad I'd like to take advantage of the iCloud features with my iPhone. I wondered if it's possible for Apple or app developers to look at my data in iCloud? or do I literally have 5gb encrypted space assigned to my account at Apples data centers?
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So is this iCloud secure?
- Thread starter Bathplug
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That's the thing, nobody knows for sure.
Will also be interesting to see how compromising some pictures or documents on iCloud could one day become. I am thinking trial cases involving crimes and such, i.e. somebody claiming not having used drugs ever while at the same times there's 200 pictures of long forgotten iCloud pictures depicting him arranging pills, powder or weed on his kitchen table...
Where does privacy begin when it comes to things like evidence in murder cases? If someone killed one of your loved ones, would you not want the FBI investigating all iCloud data about the potential murderer? I sure would...
Will also be interesting to see how compromising some pictures or documents on iCloud could one day become. I am thinking trial cases involving crimes and such, i.e. somebody claiming not having used drugs ever while at the same times there's 200 pictures of long forgotten iCloud pictures depicting him arranging pills, powder or weed on his kitchen table...
Where does privacy begin when it comes to things like evidence in murder cases? If someone killed one of your loved ones, would you not want the FBI investigating all iCloud data about the potential murderer? I sure would...
Security is an illusion. If it's up online accessible from a system other than a closed system, it's a security risk on a scale higher than 5. If you're asking if it's as secure as everyone else's data, sure, it's about as secure as Gmail, Yahoo, and Exchange. App developers can see your data stored in iCloud and while you do have encryption, it's like giving a thief the keys to the kingdom. The real question is, "who do you trust?".
They tell us it is secure.
Trust no one. Not even our government. Especially our government. I thnk that out government and Google will end up crawling in bed together. What could be better.
Trust no one. Not even our government. Especially our government. I thnk that out government and Google will end up crawling in bed together. What could be better.
Here is Apple support document on the subject:-
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4865#
It looks like data is encrypted both while it is being transported and being stored. However there is a catch, Apple provide the ability to reset your iCloud password. To do that I think that they probably would have to have the ability to decrypt your data.
If this sort of thing worries you I think the only way to be certain is to take control of encrypting your data yourself before it leaves your device. A while ago Dropbox got some flak over this problem and people started putting together solutions for encrypting data beforehand (e.g. SecretSync and TrueCrypt) Given apps' limitations on file access anything similar on iOS is going to be rather clunky.
Finally I would be very surprised if apps had access to any data beyond their own.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4865#
It looks like data is encrypted both while it is being transported and being stored. However there is a catch, Apple provide the ability to reset your iCloud password. To do that I think that they probably would have to have the ability to decrypt your data.
If this sort of thing worries you I think the only way to be certain is to take control of encrypting your data yourself before it leaves your device. A while ago Dropbox got some flak over this problem and people started putting together solutions for encrypting data beforehand (e.g. SecretSync and TrueCrypt) Given apps' limitations on file access anything similar on iOS is going to be rather clunky.
Finally I would be very surprised if apps had access to any data beyond their own.
Another good reason I would like to see Apple allow us a file system where we could make our own folders and save our files on the device.
It's probably just as secure as any other cloud service.
Personally, I wouldn't store any personal information on the Internet.
Personally, I wouldn't store any personal information on the Internet.
There Is No Such Thing As "Secure"
The cloud, for all the hype, is just your data stored on someone else's drives. Yes, the synchronization of your data from a single remote point may be convenient. But when so much data from all the citizens of the U.S. is concentrated in a single place, it will be beyond tempting for:
1) young hormone driven employees of the cloud server farm to mine for photos and videos of your girlfriend, wife, daughter..etc.
2) Hackers to gain access into a virtual treasure trove of personal information (addresses, phone numbers, account IDs, etc.)
3) government spook agencies to establish secret back doors for "reasons of national security" (of course) to track citizens deemed a "threat"
So you have to ask yourself, is the potential for any/all the above "worth it" to have synchronized content?
The cloud, for all the hype, is just your data stored on someone else's drives. Yes, the synchronization of your data from a single remote point may be convenient. But when so much data from all the citizens of the U.S. is concentrated in a single place, it will be beyond tempting for:
1) young hormone driven employees of the cloud server farm to mine for photos and videos of your girlfriend, wife, daughter..etc.
2) Hackers to gain access into a virtual treasure trove of personal information (addresses, phone numbers, account IDs, etc.)
3) government spook agencies to establish secret back doors for "reasons of national security" (of course) to track citizens deemed a "threat"
So you have to ask yourself, is the potential for any/all the above "worth it" to have synchronized content?
If you watch those storage locker auction shows it is clear that even a traditional safe can be cracked (literally) with a drill and hammer in minutes. Security by obscurity is your best bet. Stay anonymous. As long as your name isn't Paris or Lindsay, people likely won't be trying to get your data.
Websites get hacked all the time. I only ever use cloud services to upload things I wouldn't mind being leaked publicly on the internet anyway (a portion of my music collection and some wallpapers I use on various gadgets, for instance), but I would never put anything personal in "the cloud".
A good rule to follow is this: if you wouldn't want it to be public, don't put it on the internet.
A good rule to follow is this: if you wouldn't want it to be public, don't put it on the internet.