Apple has withdrawn one of its encryption services from UK customers
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A former cyber security head has called the UK government a “naive” to demand that Apple adds a backward to its software – allows the UK intelligence agencies to snoop on customers’ data – and the request expects to remain secret.
Sariran martin The UK Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) was head of cyber security and served as the first chief executive of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) before joining the University of Oxford in 2020. He spoke. New scientist Regarding those reports that the UK government has demanded an unprecedented demand for Apple to provide access to data stored by any customer anywhere in the world, even if it has been encrypted.
Such orders are to be made secretly under the Investigation Powerrs Act 2016, but Martin says it is no surprise that the details have been leaked. “I think this kind of order against a company like Apple would work secretly, perhaps Bhola,” he says.
Neither the Home Office nor Apple has confirmed the existence of the request, as it would be illegal to do so, nor responded to a request for comment. But in February, Apple announced that it would happen Its advanced data protection service is no longer offeredWhich is designed to safely encrypt cloud data for new users in the UK. Apple said at that time, “As we have said many times before, we have never created a backdoor or master key for any of our products or services and we will never.” There is also a firm Allegedly challenge the UK order in a legal case that is likely to be heard secretly,
Martin says it is not uncommon for governments and industry to confront safety issues, but that “the greatest problems, although the infallible, are susceptible to some forms of the compromise”. He says that during his intelligence agency career several times, he requested technology firms to remove characteristics that were being used by malicious actors to damage national security or criminal enterprise. They refused to give the nuances But said that he was often small, expert technical provider.
Martin says, “They will have a new app or something, and it will be a favorite of criminals due to a special feature, and you just ‘look, no, you can’t do that’. They are small bits of technology that are a little niche, and they are widely used – they are more misused by them that they are used – and you just say, like ‘, like’, like ‘, right?”
At the end of the day, they say, governments should accept that unwanted encryption is to live here. “That ship has left,” says Martin. “I think, eventually, governments are going to come with it. And I suspect in this long period (US) trying to force the global Titans of the West Coast.”
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