I got hacked mid-air while writing an Apple-FBI story

[Golucid]

Interesting Article

"Then he dropped the bombshell.“I hacked your email on the plane and read everything you sent and received. I did it to most people on the flight.” 2. He had verbatim detail of a long email that he repeated back to me essentially word for word."

READ FULL ARTICLE

THE TAKEAWAY:
....what we could to do protect our privacy. This is what he told me:

1. Call your representatives in Congress and on a statewide level and express your support for Apple in this case. Here’s a list of all U.S. members of the House and Senate. https://www.congress.gov/members
2. Make sure your devices are using their built-in encryption features. That’s FileVault for Apple devices and BitLocker on Windows products.
3. Use a password manager to help you create and store different — and strong — passwords for all your accounts. Don’t use the same password repeatedly, and don’t ever use passwords like “password” or “123456.” Some popular ones include DashLane, LastPass, and Sticky Password.
4. Download WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal, messaging apps that go great distances in encrypting voice and electronic messages. Keep in mind that even they are not 100% secure.

 

[Shadowfax]

Another thing people should do is turn off the GPS if not in use because it embeds metadata as to what the location is of every picture you take. So anyone can rt click save-as on a pic on the net, then open it with photo software and find the locations where your kids play and where you live. Not that everyone is a stalker, but there are a few.

 

[Golucid]

Another thing people should do is turn off the GPS if not in use because it embeds metadata as to what the location is of every picture you take. So anyone can rt click save-as on a pic on the net, then open it with photo software and find the locations where your kids play and where you live. Not that everyone is a stalker, but there are a few.

ew... yuck... thanks for the tip, Shadowfax.

 

[Zero]

Thanks for sharing man. A good, and important read.

 

[Golucid]

I am a member at AA too. Great post by Still-One

Behold, the Dumbest Thing Anybody Has Written About the FBI and Apple

Great find, Still One. There is s positive to be had even-so. Do not assume when you are online that all is safe. One must be proactive at an elementary level. Think of it as lock you house doors and car. Basic reasonable precautions. Crime us 90% opportunity and I learned that phrase from my law professor - Goldsmith!

 

[Golucid]

Another AA reply to my buddy Bill

David... if you must use a public access-point for internet traffic, what do you suggest? Virtual Private Network (VPN) and stuff like The Onion Router (TOR) can help? Maybe? Some smart Information Technology (IT) and Aficionado might chime in. I hope.

Bill, to name but a few processes...and you and I are personal friends, so this pain in the butt process will be of no surprise.

#1. Encryption, I use it.

#2. No personal data is on my local drive. I use an external + encryption

#3. For online sites that that are monetary, not only do I use extremely strong passwords and maximize length, each and every password I use is unique. I do not use a single replicated password.

#4. I use a refillable credit card for any and all online purchases. I absolutely do not use resident credit cards or banking info.

#5. I contacted each and every credit reporting agency with a do not promote coding

#6. Each of my creditors have coded my accounts to flag and decline credit for purchases that exceed $500. Exception process: Merchant must call creditor and verify identity with a series of identity challenges...Challenge is answered by me. Success, hand phone to merchant and creditor authorizes charge with auth code.

 

[Steve]

Another thing people should do is turn off the GPS if not in use because it embeds metadata as to what the location is of every picture you take. So anyone can rt click save-as on a pic on the net, then open it with photo software and find the locations where your kids play and where you live. Not that everyone is a stalker, but there are a few.

When you take a picture of your gear using your phone! push the photo through some EXIF software first to remove the metadata before posting it up on the net.

 

[Shadowfax]

When you take a picture of your gear using your phone! push the photo through some EXIF software first to remove the metadata before posting it up on the net.

I use a camera for photos, but that's a good option. I hadn't thought about pics of gear, which could be worth more than the children in some areas

 

[Mike]

I have a question: is the FBI asking Apple to hack into just this particular terrorists phone or are they asking Apple to make a permanent backdoor?

 

[Shadowfax]

Mike, I think this is where it all gets sticky.

If Apple unlocks 1 phone today, there will be another tomorrow and then in a few weeks there will be piles of them. If they give the FBI the master key, then we are all screwed. As much as I want them to flush out terrorists, I don't think every person with a phone, laptop, iPad or any other digital device should be left vulnerable. You know as much as anyone else that the FBI/US Government can't be trusted to just unlock 1 phone.

 

[Steve]

My understanding is that there is FBI and NSA pressure to back door Apple and Microsoft messaging systems not just phones.

 

[Mike]

Brian - this is definitely an interesting topic. I'm no stranger to IT Security matters. If it's just that particular phone, then I do think Apple should work with the FBI to unlock it for them (but certainly not provide them with the know-how to do it themselves). If it's to create a permanent backdoor for all phones, forget about it. That's too risky as it would fall into the wrong hands.

My thinking is this: Apple has no doubt benefited probably more than any other company in the world from the fruits of this great country. They benefited right from day one and continue to benefit not only from access to the market to sell products, but also intellectual capital of the best and the brightest here in America. Therefore, if we agree that we are all in this together on the "war on terror", then Apple should do their duty to help the Government better protect its citizens because Apple had benefited more than any other corporation I can think of.

If however, the Government is asking Apple to build a permanent back-door into each and every phone (via the OS), then that it just ridiculous. We've proven time and time again that we are incapable of keeping secrets from the Chinese, Russians, etc. It would be just a matter of time before the backdoor was revealed.

From what I can tell, it looks like the FBI only wants Apple's support for this particular phone:

FBI Director James Comey has described his agency's request as "limited."

"We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist's passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly," he said. "That's it. We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land."
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/23/technology/bill-gates-apple-fbi-encryption/

If this is true, then Apple by all means should help. Has Apple ever stopped to think, maybe by helping the FBI, they might be helping themselves? Had the terrorists attacked Apple employees at Apple HQ, would Apple feel different? I think they would.

We are all in this together...

 

[Shadowfax]

Sure, today it is this 1 phone. But it won't end there if they do it. It can never be one and done. If they do one phone, they will have to do every phone the FBI says "might have" terrorist activity on it including yours and mine if they so choose.

I have seen all over the news other non terrorist cases where they know the killer contacted the victim or knew them, and they want to unlock those phones too.

 

[CPP]

This is how I look at it, :
It's a tug of war between governments and corporations, where each side wants to monopolize its access to data. Corporations want to control you and influence the government. The government wants to control you and influence corporations.

This is not about one iphone its a total of 12 iphones the FBI wants access to for now which was confirmed by the Wall Street Journal. . This matter with Apple has been going on for a few years and this terrorist case just made it more public as a terrorist had a phone that was blocked with a privacy code. if the FBI wins this case, that protected data on your phone becomes an open door for the FBI, NSA, etc.. Personally I think Apple has always had a program to get into your locked iphone as you just don't design something like software for a iphone that can be locked with a code without a way to break into it. Apple had to test it to be sure it worked but this is more than Apple unlocking the phone its allowing the Government to has access to a device on their word.

But what if this phone does have terrorist information that can prevent more lives from being lost, which comes down to, where does a corporation draw the line on saving a life if they have the means ?

 

[Shadowfax]

OK, so on the flip side, they obtain the method from Apple to unlock 12 phones but guess what, they find nothing on them. If that happens, once again just as the terrorists want it, we again give up yet another right we currently have. Privacy Rights.

And if Apple just unlocks them for the FBI, then what stops the FBI or any other government agency to want another pile unlocked next week? And after they unlock 100 phones and find nothing, where do we go because the cat is already out of the bag and there is no turning back.

I think there are far better ways to deal with the terrorists than taking yet another part of my privacy away. This is another disruption of Normality in Western Culture which these extremists want us to give up. Bad enough we have to strip and be felt up to get on a plane along with all the other silly restrictions.

 

[CPP]

OK, so on the flip side, they obtain the method from Apple to unlock 12 phones but guess what, they find nothing on them. If that happens, once again just as the terrorists want it, we again give up yet another right we currently have. Privacy Rights.

And if Apple just unlocks them for the FBI, then what stops the FBI or any other government agency to want another pile unlocked next week? And after they unlock 100 phones and find nothing, where do we go because the cat is already out of the bag and there is no turning back.

I think there are far better ways to deal with the terrorists than taking yet another part of my privacy away. This is another disruption of Normality in Western Culture which these extremists want us to give up. Bad enough we have to strip and be felt up to get on a plane along with all the other silly restrictions.

You got a point but the cat was let out of the bag, a long time ago as the technology of our devices got smarter. From hacking cells phone, to hacking your car, hacking your AC and lights in your home via a home protection system anytime a person uses a device that has access to the "air" someone is going to use that device for evil.. Apple in my opinion should tell the FBI, hey we will unlock the phone but we will do it in our lab, and we will provide the FBI with any data that is resident on that phone, but we Apple will not provide any code breaking software to the FBI and this service comes at a cost.

In this day and age of technology terrorist are using emails, cell phones and the internet to do their planning. I'm all for stopping this madness. If a person has something to hide using your cell phone or a web page or your harddrive is not a place to put it. And as far as the TSA checking people at airports I'm all for it. I for sure don't want to be on a plane and some nut is carrying a device that could kill all on board.

 

[Shadowfax]

I agree with most of that, Chris. And I agree that Apple should do it in their lab and only provide the data, not the process and tools. But again, now it's 12 phones. Where does it end? Or is Apple and others obligated to unlock any device that the Gov "Claims" might have terrorist info on it. Basically it means that they can take and unlock any phone in the world that they "Feel" like unlocking.

It's a tough call and I am sure glad I don't have to make it for the world to have to live with.

 

[Golucid]

I have a question: is the FBI asking Apple to hack into just this particular terrorists phone or are they asking Apple to make a permanent backdoor?

Mike, I do not know but forcing them create one makes me suspicious that they are setting a precedent. Perhaps if Apple is forced to comply that this will be the case. IMHO personal privacy eroded a long time ago. The momentum is on the uptick.

 

[Golucid]

Has Apple ever stopped to think, maybe by helping the FBI, they might be helping themselves?

Where has the government been to protect Apple with regard to intellectual property theft [intellectual property terrorism]...Samsung.

Apple’s products came first, then Samsung’s:

For good measure, here’s what Google’s Android looked like before and after Apple’s iPhone:

And, here’s what cellphones looked like before and after Apple’s iPhone:

 

[Golucid]

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. – Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759