Snowden SLAMS iPhone, claims 'special software' tracks users Word out of Russia is that whistleblower Edward Snowden refuses to use an Apple iPhone over fears that the handsets are built to remotely track and transmit data about users. The famed engineer-turned-leaker's attorney apparently told Russian state media that Snowden believes the Apple handset contains remote management and …
What? You talking about the data, or the law? I think if the data is store publicly/unclassified then the data is supposed to remain in borders. Either way, if you're using an iOS or Android DEVICE, you can be tracked 24/7 in any country if the data remains classified. This is a win/win situation. Apple can get more data on you (due to an yet to be discovered "bug"), and countries can get more data on you.
The 1st rule of Greed Club, don't tell anyone about Greed Club, do you know the 2nd rule? Yep. For the first time in a long time, we are witnessing perpetual spin of lies that makes money for secretive purposes hush money and wars. What's scary to me about this time in history, is that it seems ALL governments agree on this, so who can contest...
So he's not using Android, either.
It said he BELIEVES this software exists, which is probably a reasonable belief given how many revelations he had about the amount of spying, and cooperation from big companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and others. He probably believes the same about Android. He may well be right - Android is only partially open source, after all, and Apple being closed source would have no difficulty including this.
Though given the black eye all the tech firms took when their cooperation with PRISM was revealed, and their more recent moves that have upset the spies, if they were cooperating in this way in the past it is less likely they're still doing so now.
Anyway, other than using a dumbphone, there's not much we can do about this...
".....other than using a dumbphone....." But, don't those 'dumbphones' all run proprietary code? I mean, do you even know what your old Nokia 3310 was actually running in the background.... it's not like they're crystal radio sets - even 'dumbphones' run an OS and you have virtually SFA chance of detecting any 'dial-home' nasties hidden in that proprietary code.
/so much fun tweaking the tinfoil.
Is Snowden doing any paid work in Russia or just getting by with a little help from friends?
He's done a great job for us all, but how's he earning a crust nowadays? Russian minimum wage is only 5,554 Rubles pcm, which is about 77 Euros - that won't leave a lot of disposable income for shiny toys.
If I were the NSA and there was a lot of blowback from my nifty spying program then I would make some real loud noises and throw a fit about how I can no longer do my job... While continuing to send those fun secret letters to corporations demanding their data and silence.
The businesses in turn could *claim* that they are no longer playing ball, when in fact they are legally forced to.
It would make for pretty good cover. Honestly, they ought to be thanking snowden for "outing" them as they can continue business as usual while everyone thinks they stopped.
My my what a rabbit hole this could be. At the end of the day you have to trust someone. The problem is there aren't any viable candidates.
Snowden is correct, as security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski revealed last summer:
http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/?p=3441
http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/?m=201407
The backdoor APIs require installation of a RAT for actual exploitation, but of course the NSA and various LEAs have either their own or commercially provided tools of this nature. Physical access to the target phone or social engineering of the device's owner is presumably required to install the tools, but (esp w/r/t the NSA) you can never be certain.
Perhaps with iOS 8 the APIs have been removed or--due to comprehensive encryption--rendered ineffective. The FBI has squealed like a stuck-pig over it, so it could be the case.
The blog contains many references to things that stopped working after iOS 4 (current version is iOS 8). To allow attacks through a computer to which the phone is attached requires possession of the phone and unlocking of the phone. If you are worried, use a 10 digit or 8 digit + letter passcode.
"With the NSA you can never be certain" is pure conjecture.
What was true up to iOS 7 was that Apple (and only Apple), given your phone and a search warrant, could brute force your passcode at a rate of ten attempts per second. Which means the standard 4 digit code is cracked easily in 15 minutes, 10 digit or 8 digit + letter is safe within your life time.
«... attorney Anatoly Kucherena told the English-language Sputnik News, a division of state-run news agency Rossiya Segodnya.
...
The Sputnik News article – which we remind you, dear reader, was generated by state-run media – ...»
If you really want'ed to convince us, you should have made an extra effort and followed the path taken by the Bellman :
«Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true.»
Henri
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