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Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

reuters.com

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Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#61
post #56

What the... I was under the impression that iCloud backups are end-to-end encrypted. This is a HUGE problem.

You should look into the 'borg' backup tool - it has become the de facto standard for remote backups because it does everything that rsync does (efficient, changes only backups) but also produces strongly encrypted remote backup sets that only you have a key to ... your cloud provider has no access to the data. The borg website is here: https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/ and a good description of how it wor…

I already use Duplicacy for backing up family personal macs to the cloud (in addition to local Time Machine backups).

For linux servers, borg is great, and me and my companies are happy users.

Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#62

What the... I was under the impression that iCloud backups are end-to-end encrypted. This is a HUGE problem.

iPhone/iPad backups stored locally on iTunes (or Finder, in Catalina) are end-to-end encrypted. iCloud backups always were encrypted based on a key derived from your iCloud account credentials, since the beginning...

> iPhone/iPad backups stored locally on iTunes (or Finder, in Catalina) are end-to-end encrypted.

Optionally encrypted: https://support.apple.com/sl-si/HT205220

Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#63

Easy fix: back up your iPhone locally on your computer instead of using iCloud: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977#computer The ambiguous position on true end-to-end encryption shows once again that Apple is in for the marketing (both to consumers—predatory and dangerous, and to engineering talent—dishonest). Same hypocrisy as on the China issue. Not that there is an easy solution when you are one of the bigges…

Yep, this is what I do. I have a Synology NAS which I backup my Mac to using Time machine. Works like a charm, and everything is actually encrypted.

Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#64

What the... I was under the impression that iCloud backups are end-to-end encrypted. This is a HUGE problem.

It's huge problem that you believed something that was never suggested by Apple and never part of the threat model. Apple runs the closed source OS on your phone. You obviously can't hide information on your phone from Apple.

Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#65
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not how that works at all. You can buy something you need because you need it and that's not at all a vote saying you like the management of how it was produced.

If you "need" an iPhone more than you "need" a competitor with end-to-end encrypted backups, then you've voted for Apple.

If only there was a viable competitor phone. The choice is iPhone or some flavour of Android. Even if Android had E2E encrypted backups, it leaks is so many other unpleasant ways that it's not even a choice.

For me it's a vote for less tracking, or at least less invasion. It's not saying it's perfect or even close. There's a ton of things I'd change on iOS if I could.

So yeah, I 'vote' Apple because the alternative is a dumb feature phone.

Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#66
post #57

Apple has a list for that: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 These are end to end: Home data Health data (requires iOS 12 or later) iCloud Keychain (includes all of your saved accounts and passwords) Payment information QuickType Keyboard learned vocabulary (requires iOS 11 or later) Screen Time Siri information Wi-Fi passwords The messages also end to end but the backup contains the private key. The moral of…

[deleted]

Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#68

The iCloud security overview [1] says iCloud backups are encrypted "in transit" and "on server", but indeed doesn't say much about the encryption keys. There is "end-to-end encryption" on just a few items (iCloud keychain, WiFi passwords, etc.) 1. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303

So not even photos are E2E encrypted? Nor Voice Memos, notes... nothing that is not written in the second list?

Re: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

#70
post #5

Some companies are better than others but there's absolutely no reason to believe any one of them would ever be on "your side" for any reason. You can vote for who makes decisions in government, but you can't vote for who makes decisions in companies.

You vote every time you decide to buy or not to buy.

Voting is a very bad way to send a message, especially if it is 'voting with your wallet'.

Its at most 1 bit information, often even less, since it could be a huge number of reasons for each person to vote one way or another, or maybe not vote at all or just random.

You can boycott a company your whole life, and nobody not even the company will care.

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