Another day, another angle to the Apple v.s. FBI mega-story that keeps rolling on. This time Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, has thrown his opinion into the ring, warning of the dangers inherent in creating the weakened software the FBI are after.
Federighi writes in The Washington Post that the FBI’s request for an intentionally vulnerable version of iOS to be created would “turn back the clock to a less-secure time,” endangering everyone’s security in one fell swoop.
“The encryption technology built into today’s iPhone represents the best data security available to consumers. And cryptographic protections on the device don’t just help prevent unauthorized access to your personal data — they’re also a critical line of defense against criminals who seek to implant malware or spyware and to use the device of an unsuspecting person to gain access to a business, public utility or government agency.”
He admits that the security features in iOS 7, while cutting-edge back in 2013, have since been breached to such a degree that non-techies can purchase software to help hack into a device running it. iOS 8 and 9 have both added significant encryption technology to protect consumer’s data. The FBI is asking Apple to strip the iPhone of the important security enhancements developed in the past three years.
Federighi concludes by noting that “security is an endless race,” requiring constant improvements to stay ahead of attacks from hackers and criminals. “To slow our pace, or reverse our progress, puts everyone at risk.”