[Discuss] Encrypt Everything? Good Luck With That

[ingegnue at riseup.net (IngeGNUe)]

On 03/28/16 20:14, Rich Pieri wrote:
> An important bit of news came down a few hours ago. It reminded me that
> I've harped on a couple of security points on this list over the years.
> 
> One: physical security is paramount.
> 
> Two: encryption is not a substitute for physical security.
> 
> Apple's allegedly unbreakable iPhone security, what stymied the FBI for
> months, was broken in a matter of days once someone figured out a viable
> attack:
> 
> http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/03/feds-break-through-seized-iphone-stand-down-in-legal-battle-with-apple/
> 

Agreed. LOL I remember watching a YouTube video explaining how to bypass
the iPhone's passcode. They took Apple to court over the screen lock?!

>The iOS 9 phone was encrypted with a four-digit passcode, and
>investigators were afraid that if they enter the wrong passcode 10
>times, it would auto-delete all the data on the phone. The initial
>order would have forced Apple to create a customized version of iOS
>that would disable this lockout feature, enabling the government to
>brute force passcodes until it could get in.

They could have Google'd/Ducked/Searx'd it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKTFEtcKSkc
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=get+around+the+iphone+passcode

Quantum computers are coming too, which would break all the locks ever
-- as far as I understand. Encryption is literally an arms race of
"brute force" computing power against mathematical obstacles, and
protection against attacks is limited by access to said computing power
and access to, as you say, physical security. Stronger shields, better
weapons to break the shields, stronger shields, better... In the end,
the little people will be left with the least protection of both kinds
because they are always falling behind. Warning: Thinking about it too
much will induce burn-out. :/