苹果系统的安全性

Apple’sStanceHighlightsaMoreConfrontationalTechIndustryThebattlebetweenAppleandlawenforcementofficialsoverunlockingaterrorist’ssmartphoneistheculminationofaslowturningofthetablesbetweenthetechnologyindustryandtheUnitedStatesgovernment.AfterrevelationsbytheformerNationalSecurityAgencycontractorEdwardJ.Snowdenin2013thatthegovernmentbothcozieduptocertaintechcompaniesandhackedintootherstogainaccesstoprivatedataonanenormousscale,techgiantsbegantorecognizetheUnitedStatesgovernmentasahostileactor.Butiftheconfrontationhascrystallizedinthislatestbattle,itmayalreadybeheadingtowardapredictableconclusion:Inthelongrun,thetechcompaniesaredestinedtoemergevictorious.Itmaynotseemthatwayatthemoment.Ontheoneside,youhavetheUnitedStatesgovernment’smightylegalandsecurityapparatusfightingfordataofthemostsympatheticsort:thesecretsburiedinadeadmassmurderer’sphone.TheactionstemsfromafederalcourtorderissuedonTuesdayrequiringAppletohelptheF.B.I.unlockaniPhoneusedbyoneofthetwoattackerswhokilled14peopleinSanBernardino,Calif.,inDecember.Intheothercorneristheworld’smostvaluablecompany,whosechiefexecutive,TimothyD.Cook,hassaidhewillappealthecourt’sorder.Applearguesthatitisfightingtopreserveaprinciplethatmostofuswhoareaddictedtooursmartphonescandefend:WeakenasingleiPhonesothatitscontentscanbeviewedbytheAmericangovernmentandyouriskweakeningalliPhonesforanygovernmentintruder,anywhere.PTherewillprobablybemonthsoflegaltussling,anditisnotatallclearwhichsidewillprevailincourt,norinthebattleforpublicopinionandlegislativefavorPYetunderlyingallofthisisasimpledynamic:Apple,Google,Facebookandothercompaniesholdmostofthecardsinthisconfrontation.Theyhaveourdata,andtheirbusinessesdependontheglobalpublic’scollectivebeliefthattheywilldoeverythingtheycantoprotectthatdata.Anycrackinthatfrontcouldbefatalfortechcompaniesthatmustoperateworldwide.IfAppleisforcedtoopenupaniPhoneforanAmericanlawenforcementinvestigation,what’stopreventitfromdoingsoforarequestfromtheChineseortheIranians?IfAppleisforcedtowritecodethatletstheF.B.I.getintothePhone5cusedbySyedRizwanFarook,themaleattackerintheSanBernardinoattack,whowouldberesponsibleifsomehackergotholdofthatcodeandbrokeintoitsotherdevices?Apple’sstanceontheseissuesemergedpost-Snowden,whenthecompanystartedputtinginplaceaseriesoftechnologiesthat,bydefault,makeuseofencryptiontolimitaccesstopeople’sdata.Morethanthat,Apple—and,indifferentways,othertechcompanies,includingGoogle,Facebook,TwitterandMicrosoft—havemadetheiroppositiontothegovernment’sclaimsapointofcorporatepride.Apple’semergingglobalbrandisprivacy;ithasstakeditscorporatereputation,nottomentioninvesteditsconsiderabletechnicalandfinancialresources,onlimitingthesortofmasssurveillancethatwasuncoveredbyMr.Snowden.Sonow,formanycasesinvolvinggovernmentalintrusionsintodata,once-lonelyprivacyadvocatesfindthemselvesfightingalongsidethemostpowerfulcompanyintheworld.“Acomparisonpointisinthe1990sbattlesoverencryption,”saidKurtOpsahl,generalcounseloftheElectronicFrontierFoundation,aprivacywatchdoggroup.“Thenyouhadafewcompaniesinvolved,butnotoneofthelargestcompaniesintheworldcomingoutwithalengthyandimpassionedpost,likewesawyesterdayfromTimCook.Theprofilehasreallybeenraised.”Appleandothertechcompaniesholdanotherace:thetechnicalmeanstokeepmakingtheirdevicesmoreandmoreinaccessible.NotethatApple’spublicoppositiontothegovernment’srequestisitselfahindrancetomassgovernmentintrusion.AndtogetatthecontentsofasingleiPhone,thegovernmentsaysitneedsacourtorderandApple’shelptowritenewcode;inearlierversionsoftheiPhone,onesthatwerecreatedbeforeApplefoundreligiononprivacy,theF.B.I.mayhavebeenabletobreakintothedevicebyitself.Youcanexpectthatnoosetocontinuetotighten.ExpertssaidthatwhetherornotApplelosesthisspecificcase,measuresthatitcouldputintoplaceinthefuturewillalmostcertainlybeabletofurtherlimitthegovernment’sreach.That’snottosaythattheoutcomeoftheSanBernardinocaseisinsignificant.AsAppleandseveralsecurityexpertshaveargued,anordercompellingAppletowritesoftwarethatgivestheF.B.I.accesstotheiPhoneinquestionwouldestablishanunsettlingprecedent.TheorderessentiallyasksAppletohackitsowndevices,andonceitisinplace,theprecedentcouldbeusedtojustifylawenforcementeffortstogetaroundencryptiontechnologiesinotherinvestigationsfarremovedfromnationalsecuritythreats.OncearmedwithamethodforgainingaccesstoiPhones,thegovernmentcouldasktouseitproactively,beforeasuspectedterroristattack—leavingAppleinabindastowhethertocomplyorriskanattackandsufferapublic-relationsnightmare.“Thisisabrandnewsalvointhewaragainstencryption,”Mr.Opsahlsaid.“We’vehadplentyofdebatesinCongressandthemediaoverwhetherthegovernmentshouldhaveabackdoor,andthisisanendrunaroundthat—heretheycomewithanordertocreatethatbackdoor.”Yetit’sworthnotingthatevenifAppleultimatelylosesthiscase,ithasplentyoftechnicalmeanstocloseabackdoorovertime.“Ifthey’reanywherenearworththeirsaltasengineers,Ibetthey’rerethinkingtheirthreatmodelaswespeak,”saidJonathanZdziarski,adigitalforensicexpertwhostudiestheiPhoneanditsvulnerabilities.Onerelativelysimplefix,Mr.Zdziarskisaid,w