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The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

forbes.com

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Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#41

Post by lawnchair_larry »

roin wrote: post #32

Not only is the slide from 2008, but it also says it requires "close access methods" and "remote installation will be pursued for a future release." In other words, they need physical access to your device. If we think that the NSA can't compromise a device after gaining physical access, well then I think we should be scared about the competence of the NSA. I don't have the patience to watch Appelbaum's hour long tal…

I would say this is one of the least impressive things mentioned in that talk.

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#42

Post by acchow »

allochthon wrote: post #12

Honestly, I don't really care. The NSA can read whatever they want of mine. I've heard the arguments about how you should care, even if you don't have anything to hide. And I find them persuasive on one level and simultaneously unengaging on another. By contrast, the parallels to fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and living in a turnkey fascist state are most unpersuasive. The one argument against what I've written that…

> Honestly, I don't really care.

Some non-empty subset of the population needs privacy. Maybe you're not in that subset, but you should still be fighting on their behalf.

On a related note, do you believe in freedom of press? "a survey of American writers revealed that nearly one in four has self-censored" http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/04/opinion/snowden-chilling-effec...

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#43

Post by zachrose »

auctiontheory wrote: post #8
caycep wrote: post #4

The slide is dated in 2007 - i.e. either iOS 1.0 or some pre-release beta. Who knows what it does now with iOS 7? Also, its unclear what's needed - does one of those other ridiculous govt alphabet soup programs act as a trojan, or does Tom Cruise has to dangle from my ceiling with laser beams to plug in some wingding to do this?

IIRC Tom Cruise didn't have the laser beams - he was avoiding the laser beams. So the responsibility to set up a defense perimeter with laser beams is yours.

The GP is grammatically and textually correct. The lasers belonged to the ceiling.

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#44

Post by jonnybgood »

allochthon wrote: post #12

Honestly, I don't really care. The NSA can read whatever they want of mine. I've heard the arguments about how you should care, even if you don't have anything to hide. And I find them persuasive on one level and simultaneously unengaging on another. By contrast, the parallels to fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and living in a turnkey fascist state are most unpersuasive. The one argument against what I've written that…

I'm inclined to agree with you. It's a first world problem filled with hyperbole and misinformation by the individuals leading this fight. Frankly, I wouldn't trust anyone.

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#45

Post by guelo »

wyager wrote: post #11

This is from a very old version of iOS (2007). We don't know if this is still true. Regardless, I can say for a fact that there are exploits for all cell phone platforms. iOS exploits are by far the hardest to find. An iOS remote execution 0day will easily fetch $250k. I've seen one go for $600k. For an Android remote exec 0day, you're looking at closer to $50k. Even if the NSA doesn't have these on hand, they can ce…

Seriously? Apple fanboys feel the need to try to defend Apple by saying that their competitors are worse?

Wake the fuck up! This isn't about Apple. It's about an out of control military that's spying on all of us and threatening our way of life and our livelihoods.

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#46

Post by neilkelty »

Couldn't this be accomplished simply by creating apps that deal with contacts, photos, camera, etc. and then having users download and accept the permissions themselves.

For example, imagine that any one of the contact or calendar management apps where you "Allow xxxxx to access your contacts" was produced by the NSA under the guise of an innovative startup.

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#47

Post by lawnchair_larry »

samstave wrote: post #14

So here is a complete anecdotal suspicion: I have had the iPhone since the first day of release. I have gone through 16 physical devices over that period (due to me breaking them a lot and going through several employers where I had never purchased my own phone since (well before) it was released). I am currently, for the first time in a long time, on my own personal device; an iPhone 4. I upgraded it to iOS7 when it…

Yes. The screenshot is old/known, and it does that in order to make the transitions appear smooth. It's also been cited as a privacy risk before, for the reasons you mention.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/32645

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#48

Post by MWil »

allochthon wrote: post #38
blake8086 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey, can you post your email username/password here so we can all read your mail?

I worry about random people on the Internet having access to my information about 1000 times more than I do the NSA.

who are these NSA people that aren't also random people?

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#49

Post by deelowe »

sneak wrote: post #26
allochthon wrote: post #12

Honestly, I don't really care. The NSA can read whatever they want of mine. I've heard the arguments about how you should care, even if you don't have anything to hide. And I find them persuasive on one level and simultaneously unengaging on another. By contrast, the parallels to fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and living in a turnkey fascist state are most unpersuasive. The one argument against what I've written that…

The protection from snooping government for law abiders isn't for humdrum people like you. It's for people working to make the world better who come under fire through no illegal activity of their own. Did you know the FBI put MLK under surveillance at the orders of Bobby Kennedy (then-Attorney General)? They didn't find evidence of crimes, so they threatened to publicize his extramarital affair if he didn't give up…

The MLK example is a great one. Also, it's still not 100% clear what happened with Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe or the Kennedys. I read recently that there was evidence of the NSA having dirt on a governor, which was used to blackmail him (can't recall the specific instance unfortunately). And of course, I'm sure everyone knows about what happened with the IRS and certain non profits last year, while not directly tied to the NSA gives an example of why this stuff matters.

So yea, it's not to protect people like us. It's to protect the MLKs, the politicians, the accountants, the journalist, the news anchor, etc... Everyone either has a skeleton in their closet or cares about someone who does. If one is so inclined, having this information can be extremely valuable when trying to prevent a "free society" from becoming a little too free.

Re: The NSA Reportedly Has Total Access To The Apple iPhone

#50

Post by samstave »

jbergstroem wrote: post #35
samstave wrote: post #14

So here is a complete anecdotal suspicion: I have had the iPhone since the first day of release. I have gone through 16 physical devices over that period (due to me breaking them a lot and going through several employers where I had never purchased my own phone since (well before) it was released). I am currently, for the first time in a long time, on my own personal device; an iPhone 4. I upgraded it to iOS7 when it…

Complete bogus - but lets play: If you were the NSA; why would you even hint to the user that you were taking screenshots? Its not like the blink animation is tucked away from software control.

That wasnt my point: irrespective of any "nefarious interest" in said screen shots; IS the iOS device actually capturing every single screen change via a screenshot?

As I understood it - there were certain apps that were captured in the past. This was so that when the app loaded it had the previous state shown as quickly as possible, and it would then refresh.

My point was I am noticing this flashing screen cap anim on literally EVERY screen change... this does not make sense to me and I am wondering why the device does this.

Finally, I surmise that if it actually IS doing these caps, that if one COULD get access to them one could then build a pretty clear session history.

Again, I said it was a simple suspicion. I have no idea if this is actually happening; but the device seems to be revealing the caps happening... but I am not so sure.

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