Following the Apple-FBI case about the FBI iPhone hack, Apple opened up how it makes iPhone and the iOS secure. The meeting was held in Cupertino, with Apple discussing hardware and firmware security processes, albeit in the broadest of terms.
Protection From Hackers Not From Government
Senior Apple engineers made concrete pronouncements during the Cupertino meeting regarding Apple's iPhone and iOS security features following the FBI iPhone hack. They said that the primary goal of Apple's security features is to protect the iPhone from hackers, not from the government.
Although the subject of the meeting wasn't the FBI iPhone hack, it was still a looming cloud during the meeting. For the uninitiated, this may sound readily acceptable, yet for many, a hack, whether it's from the government or from a third party is still considered a hack.
Any infiltration on the software or firmware of any system is a hack. Hence, the FBI iPhone hack is still hacking, per se, even if it came from the government.
Security From Ground Up
According to Yahoo, senior Apple engineers said that they have been focusing much effort in securing the iPhone and iOS for the past two decades. The company's engineers said that it builds its device's security from grounds up. It highlighted security features from the silicon up to the broader finished iPhone product, undermining the recent FBI iPhone hack.
During the meeting, senior Apple engineers asserted that there is no foolproof 100 percent-secured system. Security systems are very dynamic. While security patches are made by software companies every now and then to protect security loopholes, there is always a possibility that a smart hacker comes along.
Good Intentions Could Lead To Bad Outcomes
The Cupertino meeting gave senior Apple engineers an opportunity to shed some light on how the FBI iPhone hack happened, albeit, indirectly. The FBI iPhone hack occurred after the tech giant refused to provide a backdoor for the FBI on the iPhone believed to be owned by a terrorist linked to the San Bernardino shooting.
The Verge reported that Apple's refusal was grounded on the company's strong stance against the creation of a backdoor into the iPhone. The company feared that such will create a bad and dangerous precedent. Said refusal prompted the much debated FBI iPhone hack.
Despite the FBI iPhone hack, senior Apple engineers implied during the meeting that the iPhone security features are close to being foolproof. One measure mentioned by the engineers in securing the iPhone was a hardware embedded on an iPhone chip.
It's intended to check the operating system on the phone before booting, so as to verify whether the software that will run is signed by Apple. This prevents the phone from booting with rogue software.
More FBI iPhone Hack Questions
The FBI iPhone hack may be considered an isolated case. However, it shows that iPhone and the iOS systems are not 100 percent secured. Apple is still figuring out how FBI iPhone hack was perpetuated.
Apple engineers: FBI's iPhone hack won't stay secret for long pic.twitter.com/WpGYBWMERz
— All iPhone (@iPhoneTeam) April 5, 2016
Well, there's no such thing as a 100 percent secured system anyway. What's your take on the FBI iPhone hack? Will you still buy an iPhone even after the FBI iPhone hack?
