Speaker 1: The day has finally come. Apple has given ultimate encryption power to we the users. End-to-end encryption is shielding our data on iCloud from both cybercriminals and law enforcement. What you save on your iCloud can truly be for your eyes only. Something that only you can access on your device. The F B I is completely irked. Come on man. Privacy advocates are thrilled. Woohoo. It comes with its complications and more personal responsibility. It’s one more [00:00:30] thing we have to learn to set up, and yet this doesn’t just change the future of Apple products. Security on all tech could be changed forever. Apple has always been extra secure with things like passwords and health data. Those things, they’re only stored on your device like an iPhone, not to be seen by Apple. But Apple’s new beefed up security, it’s called advanced data protection. And that now also covers iCloud backups, your notes, your photos.
Speaker 1: It means Apple won’t have control [00:01:00] of the encryption keys. It will not be able to access that user data. So if you lose your password, if you lose access to your account, apple can’t recover your data. So there’s more responsibility on you. And if you opt in to use this feature, you can need to set up a plan B to get into your iCloud account. It’s like keeping a spare key under the doormat. You can designate someone as a recovery contact or print out a recovery key, which is a really long passcode that you would [00:01:30] print out and save somewhere in your desk or something. But with this extra layer of privacy, it also means Apple no longer can comply with requests for data from law enforcement because there’s no way to even hand anything over if they wanted to. If the extra encryption is turned on, they are locked out.
Speaker 1: The FBI has released a statement that the agency is deeply concerned and that this hinders on our ability to protect the American people from criminal acts. [00:02:00] Now, after all, when a group like the Department of Justice makes a request for information to aid with an investigation, apple and other tech companies comply. And in Apple’s case, it can hand over data it already has access to. So the FBI now is saying Apple should give the agency a way to get a backdoor key or what it calls lawful access by design. That is some really messy stuff. Groups that advocate for privacy applauded the move, including the surveillance technology oversight [00:02:30] project. It called the New Security feature Essential and Overdue Fight for the Future. That organization said this will improve human rights. Now, apple has been selling itself as the most security conscious option in tech. It’s why I stick with Apple.
Speaker 1: It’s why I buy a home pod instead of using an Amazon Alexa speaker, because Apple doesn’t make a profit off my data. It makes a profit off gadgets that stays secure. I care about privacy and data protection. Apple has been setting the [00:03:00] standard here and now this is the new standard. Apple has made public stances about security before. Back in 2015, if you recall, the company pushed back against the FBI’s request to crack the iPhone five C of a terrorist who killed 14 people. You see, apple made the case that although the company respected the fbi, the bureau’s request to make a back door went beyond the normal scope of requests and it would create potential for other bad actors [00:03:30] to crack it into anyone’s iPhone in the future. Since then, apple really leaned into security as a sales pitch. You remember the Consumer Electronic show billboard in 2019 that said, what happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone?
Speaker 1: Well, now that statement is even more true with extra protection on iCloud backups. If other tech companies want to compete with Apple, they’re gonna have to follow suit here. This could shift how privacy is handled by everyone going forward, but Apple’s not the first. Google also has end-to-end [00:04:00] protected backups. WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted. Apple is opt-in. So it takes people being educated to even turn it on, and it starts as though down a path to making this normalized and adopted by more systems as a standard. A little side perk in all this is that Apple doesn’t have to now even deal with as many requests for information. If users do turn this on, it kind of washes their hands clean of ever having to get involved in governments or law enforcement. And iCloud data does [00:04:30] help law enforcement a lot. Don’t forget, iCloud helped convict Paul Manafort, the political advisor in 2016, chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Speaker 1: Robert Mueller and the FBI were able to get data on Manafort by accessing his iCloud account where he was backing up his WhatsApp messages, which got him into trouble. It was a security loophole that got around WhatsApps end to end encryption, but overall more security. If you didn’t know how to use it, it’s [00:05:00] better for us as a whole. It helps set standards for privacy protections. But this is such a tricky area when that Apple is saying it’s better for them to just keep their hands clean and have a safe experience so that way Apple doesn’t have to hand over data for any reason. It depends how much Apple is gonna push this to see how many people turn it on. But don’t just take it from me. Time to get out the ultra secure phone line to speak with Cena’s ACE cybersecurity reporter, Brie Fowler.
Speaker 2: [00:05:30] Hello.
Speaker 1: Hey Brie, how much can this change things going forward?
Speaker 2: Well, I mean for people that may be worried about the government getting in, you know, they, they may have less to worry about. Specifically people who live in other countries, democracy activists, journalists, people that might be targeted by government officials for what they do. This is going to protect their data more than it used to. To
Speaker 1: How big of a deal is this for the people [00:06:00] that you follow in the cybersecurity world?
Speaker 2: In the cybersecurity world, any kind of encryption that’s added is a good thing. Um, you know, people are storing more and more information in the cloud, more sensitive information that you know previously they would’ve maybe had at home. And anything that will protect that data is good.
Speaker 1: Thanks Bree.
Speaker 2: Sure, anytime.
Speaker 1: What’s next? Well, if Apple really wants to be the most secure device, [00:06:30] it should work rcs message from Android users and to iMessage to let iPhone and Android users be end-to-end encrypted. Then you’d really be looking out for all your customers Apple, not just the ones who only send texts to other Apple users. Let me know if you’re gonna use this feature or it is opt-in, or if there’s something else in the world of privacy and cybersecurity that you are hoping gets improved. Thanks for watching. I’ll see you next week.
