Apple has a semi-strong reputation in the security/privacy advocacy community. While the iOS isn't the most secure, Apple's encryption policy and lack of internal spyware in the iOS has garnered it a lot of positive praise for privacy advocates. However, a report from NSA detractor Edward Snowden is making some rethink this.
Russian news agency RIA Novosti interviewed Edward Snowden's lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, last Monday. The conversation touched on many topics in that short time frame. However, one particular thing stood out to the Russian site Sputnik - Snowden's position on the iPhone.
When asked about Snowden's phone usage, Kucherena said, "Edward never uses an iPhone; he's got a simple phone."
When the reporter inquired further, Kucherena told them that Snowden believed that "the iPhone has special software that can activate itself without the owner having to press a button and gather information about him; that's why on security grounds he refused to have this phone."
Is this true? It's unclear. Security experts have taken the time to dig through Apple's iOS code many times to find any security bugs, as well as determine that it is secure.
However, Snowden does have access to many other files and data points that the experts wouldn't. The whistleblower recently published a series of NSA files on how the British GCHQ uses Apple's UDID system to track users. However, if the NSA already had access to the iPhone, then why would President Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron express a desire for access to the iPhone's encrypted apps? Something doesn't add up.
There is no mention of secret Apple software in any of the files Snowden has published so far, according to experts. However, the fact that Snowden is worried about it gives security experts a reason to do a thorough investigation into how secure the iPhone iOS really is. Hopefully, Snowden and Kucherena will elaborate on their comments regarding the software so that users can act accordingly.
