Backdoors and the FBI
What if our governments can find your personal data at its whim? What if the government can hack into a person tech and violate all privacy laws it instated, all without the victim’s consent?
Though installing backdoors in technology will allow the government to better track and condemn criminals, unrestricted and anonymous access to anyone’s personal data is disastrous and should be avoided at all costs, for one’s data is nobody’s business except for the rightful owner. How would you feel if your privacies were violated?
If Apple was forced to give the FBI a “Masterkey” to its iPhones, other countries can also order the same key, including countries like China and Russia. The FBI is trying to force Apple to create a master key “and once a company has been forced to build a backdoor into its products, there’s no way to ensure that it’s only used by our government, as opposed to repressive regimes, cybercriminals or industrial spies.” (Time). If the FBI forces Apple to create a backdoor, a way to hack into a system, then Apple cannot resist identical demands from other countries. How would you feel if Russia or other countries can hack and steal data from you at any moment? If the FBI succeeds, then other countries will inevitably get access to Apple’s exploit, which would decrease security greatly.
If we allow backdoors, the FBI is essentially given uncompromising access to everyone’s technology. It is the equivalent of our Government forcing a keymaker to make a master key to every citizen’s house; And keep in mind that no US court has ever ordered a key maker to make a master key. The World Socialist Web Site has read through the FBI v Apple law documents and it has found that “the government wants broad authority to bypass encryption mechanisms on any communications that it is not presently able to monitor.” (WSWS) This shows that the FBI’s main intentions isn’t to solve the San Bernardino case, but rather to gain monitoring powers on its people. The FBI is hoping to set a precedent, so that they can monitor all technology, and disrupt the privacy of its citizens.
The FBI is requiring that we make software containing sensitive data hackable, and more vulnerable means hackers find an easier time making exploits and thus hacking a person’s technology. One must understand that the FBI is trying to make our information easily obtainable. “Signing a fake version of iOS that lets the government brute-force passcodes weakens those keys” and someone might “steal those keys and release their own hacked versions of iOS for nefarious purposes,” all of which are major problems identified by The Verge. (The Verge) Brute-Forcing, or repeatedly trying password combinations until access is given, is a major way that destroy security and someone with the key may easily employ it to hack into any phones. The iOS system the FBI is requiring is exploitable and easily manipulated by hackers and terrorists alike.
Installing vulnerabilities inside software is a bad idea. Giving technology hackability will only help the terrorists, not stop them. Giving Russia and like countries a master key will only result in data theft. Giving the FBI access when the FBI’s real intentions is to monitor its citizens is unacceptable. Installing backdoors on technology will only bring pandemonium and nothing good to benefit from. Would you let the FBI obtain a masterkey?
Citations:
Abdo, Alex. “ACLU: Ordering Apple to Comply With the FBI Is Unconstitutional.” Time. Time, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
Gaisr, Thomas. “World Socialist Web Site.” FBI Wins Court Order Forcing Apple to Install Backdoor in IPhone Security Systems -. WSWS, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
Patel, Nilay. “Really Understanding Apple’s Legal Brief in the FBI Case.” The Verge. The Verge, 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
Backdoors and the FBI
Backdoors and the FBI
What if our governments can find your personal data at its whim? What if the government can hack into a person tech and violate all privacy laws it instated, all without the victim’s consent?
Though installing backdoors in technology will allow the government to better track and condemn criminals, unrestricted and anonymous access to anyone’s personal data is disastrous and should be avoided at all costs, for one’s data is nobody’s business except for the rightful owner. How would you feel if your privacies were violated?
If Apple was forced to give the FBI a “Masterkey” to its iPhones, other countries can also order the same key, including countries like China and Russia. The FBI is trying to force Apple to create a master key “and once a company has been forced to build a backdoor into its products, there’s no way to ensure that it’s only used by our government, as opposed to repressive regimes, cybercriminals or industrial spies.” (Time). If the FBI forces Apple to create a backdoor, a way to hack into a system, then Apple cannot resist identical demands from other countries. How would you feel if Russia or other countries can hack and steal data from you at any moment? If the FBI succeeds, then other countries will inevitably get access to Apple’s exploit, which would decrease security greatly.
If we allow backdoors, the FBI is essentially given uncompromising access to everyone’s technology. It is the equivalent of our Government forcing a keymaker to make a master key to every citizen’s house; And keep in mind that no US court has ever ordered a key maker to make a master key. The World Socialist Web Site has read through the FBI v Apple law documents and it has found that “the government wants broad authority to bypass encryption mechanisms on any communications that it is not presently able to monitor.” (WSWS) This shows that the FBI’s main intentions isn’t to solve the San Bernardino case, but rather to gain monitoring powers on its people. The FBI is hoping to set a precedent, so that they can monitor all technology, and disrupt the privacy of its citizens.
The FBI is requiring that we make software containing sensitive data hackable, and more vulnerable means hackers find an easier time making exploits and thus hacking a person’s technology. One must understand that the FBI is trying to make our information easily obtainable. “Signing a fake version of iOS that lets the government brute-force passcodes weakens those keys” and someone might “steal those keys and release their own hacked versions of iOS for nefarious purposes,” all of which are major problems identified by The Verge. (The Verge) Brute-Forcing, or repeatedly trying password combinations until access is given, is a major way that destroy security and someone with the key may easily employ it to hack into any phones. The iOS system the FBI is requiring is exploitable and easily manipulated by hackers and terrorists alike.
Installing vulnerabilities inside software is a bad idea. Giving technology hackability will only help the terrorists, not stop them. Giving Russia and like countries a master key will only result in data theft. Giving the FBI access when the FBI’s real intentions is to monitor its citizens is unacceptable. Installing backdoors on technology will only bring pandemonium and nothing good to benefit from. Would you let the FBI obtain a masterkey?
Citations:
Abdo, Alex. “ACLU: Ordering Apple to Comply With the FBI Is Unconstitutional.” Time. Time, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
Gaisr, Thomas. “World Socialist Web Site.” FBI Wins Court Order Forcing Apple to Install Backdoor in IPhone Security Systems -. WSWS, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
Patel, Nilay. “Really Understanding Apple’s Legal Brief in the FBI Case.” The Verge. The Verge, 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
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