Slashdot Mirror
Apple Denies Helping NSA Subvert iPhone
New submitter aissixtir sends word that Apple has responded to allegations that the NSA has backdoor access to iPhones. Apple said,
"Apple has never worked with the NSA to create a backdoor in any of our products, including iPhone. Additionally, we have been unaware of this alleged NSA program targeting our products. ... Whenever we hear about attempts to undermine Apple’s industry-leading security, we thoroughly investigate and take appropriate steps to protect our customers. We will continue to use our resources to stay ahead of malicious hackers and defend our customers from security attacks, regardless of who’s behind them."
This could be part of the reason the Whitehouse waived the patent decision against them.
Perhaps they are constrained by law and couldn't release the truth if they wanted to.
Apple has never worked with the NSA to create a backdoor in any of our products, including iPhone. (Once the NSA backdoored the iPhone, we didn't fix it) Additionally, we have been unaware of this alleged NSA program targeting our products(In this case, 'we' refers to the marketing department and the guy that brings the bagels) ... Whenever we hear about attempts to undermine Apple’s industry-leading security, we thoroughly investigate and take appropriate steps to protect our customers. We will continue to use our resources to stay ahead of malicious hackers and defend our customers from security attacks, regardless of who’s behind them. Securing out products against the non malicious, non attacking survailence by the NSA would be inappropiate, of course.
Ok, I actually went and RTFA. TFA says, and I quote:
The documents suggest that the NSA needs physical access to a device to install the spyware—something the agency has achieved by rerouting shipments of devices purchased online—but a remote version of the exploit is also in the works.
If somebody actually reroutes shipments and tampers with your product in transit it's kind of hard to 'fix' that. What would you like Apple to do? Have every iPhone they sell escorted by armed guards? With all due respect to the noble sport of Apple hating, one security researcher speculates, and once again I quote:
Either [the NSA] have a huge collection of exploits that work against Apple products, meaning they are hoarding information about critical systems that American companies produce, and sabotaging them, or Apple sabotaged it themselves...
...and every Apple hater on /. immediately takes that as proof positive that Apple must be sabotaging their own product by routing their shipments through NSA hacking HQ for spyware installation and have a team of engineers developing a remote attack kit for the NSA. Come to think of it, why would the NSA even need have one 'in the works' if Apple is building NSA friendly back doors into their products by default? I mean it could not possibly be the case that the NSA has teams of people tapping into the hacker underground and buying up zero day exploits now could it? (Hint: that's the other thing that security guy suggested) No it's much more logical that the NSA have blackmailed thousands of American and foreign companies into sabotaging their own products. After all, such an operation is much more easy to cover up (not) that just quietly buying up zero day exploits and/or hiring a team of hackers to ensure a steady supply of exploits. If Apple actually did what they are being accused of they deserve to get punished (and they will when their customers abandon them in droves), but let's at least try to base the idle speculation on something more solid than "I hate Apple".