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Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

forbes.com

31–40 of 243 posts

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#31

Why would criminals not use expiring messages? Bizarre that you’d go to these lengths to use e2e chat and then not expire your messages after say an hour.

All the ones I knew did, for exactly this reason, and still didn’t speak too freely on it. Cant be too careful.

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#32
post #21

If you own the phone, the messages are decrypted. This seems to be more about the phone access than anything to do with Signal, right?

Of course. All these articles and "criticisms" of Signal started popping up right after the recent WhatsApp mini exodus. What a coincidence.

Maybe your assumption that something dubious is going on can be eliminated by Occam's razor? Because: any business that gains in popularity will automatically also see higher press coverage.

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#34

I don't think this should surprise anyone. The FBI has multiple methods for accessing locked phones: using physical exploits like those provided by Cellbrite, or through baseband attacks - i.e. first attacking the cellular modem and from there using an exploit to get to the main ARM cpu, or through exploits or backdoors in any app the phone had that do background refresh through the web while the phone is locked. I t…

Your understanding of baseband attacks is not correct. Having a baseband exploit would not facilitate this. Nor would exploits/backdoors in any particular app.

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#35
post #7

How is it possible that the FBI has so much advanced stuff when I’ve never met a skilled developer willing to work for what the government pays? Are their tools developed by high paid contractors?

First off, others have pointed out that these are 3rd party software companies providing the tools. I'd like to talk about your other point though: > I’ve never met a skilled developer willing to work for what the government pays So there are a lot of very skilled developers working for the government right now. I'd agree you probably haven't met them. I've found that people who work for the government, especially on…

Not a government worker, but I work in non-profit areas.

I do make a lot less money in this role than I would in a startup environment or SV. But, work life balance is significantly better. Benefits are actually the best I've ever seen (no cost health plan and they put the full amount of the deductible in an HSA for me each year, generous 401k match with only a 1 year vesting schedule, summer hours so I can spend more time in daylight, a pension with a very easy vesting schedule, plenty of time off, etc).

I'd work a government job for similar reasons. It's not about pay for me. I need enough to live, enough to plan for retirement, and a little extra to enjoy my life.

I work to enjoy my life, I don't work to die early or just to work. My life comes first, work comes second and finding a company that respects that and encourages it to some extent, is worth more to me than high pay and a worse environment to work in.

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#36

I hate be a spoil sport, but generally I don't need protection from the FBI, NSA, CIA. I need convenience to unlock my phone/laptop quickly with a fingerprint, even after a restart. XKCD nails this: https://xkcd.com/538 I'm MOST concerned with Google/Facebook continuously circumventing laws and violating my opt-out preferences. I'd like to have a null advertising ID for instance. Can't do that. And besides, you don't…

the US has problems, but the police won't hit anyone with wrenches to get them to talk. torture taints the evidence obtained.

the reason spy agencies can do it is because they're not law-enforcement. that's why they have to use parallel construction, to launder the evidence trail.

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#37
post #7

How is it possible that the FBI has so much advanced stuff when I’ve never met a skilled developer willing to work for what the government pays? Are their tools developed by high paid contractors?

First off, others have pointed out that these are 3rd party software companies providing the tools. I'd like to talk about your other point though: > I’ve never met a skilled developer willing to work for what the government pays So there are a lot of very skilled developers working for the government right now. I'd agree you probably haven't met them. I've found that people who work for the government, especially on…

It's also worth noting that depending on their security clearance they can't go out and network or have public-facing profiles.

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#39
post #18
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You clearly didn't read the article, since they call out the two companies who supply this type of technology to law enforcement organizations.

I’m more interested in their compensation than how they get paid. I know lots of work is done by contractors.

It has nothing to do with contractors. The FBI buys a product from a company that does this stuff. They do not develop it, nor do they contract out the work to develop it. They buy an (essentially) off the shelf product that does this.

Re: Evidence that the FBI can hack into private Signal messages on a locked iPhone

#40
post #24
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m more interested in their compensation than how they get paid. I know lots of work is done by contractors.

I don't get this. Your original comment said "Are their tools developed by high paid contractors?" but now you're claiming to have already known. What exactly are you asking?

I know contractors are common but I don’t know if they’re paid a lot or if they can ignore the government employee pay scale.
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