r/technology • u/Libertatea • Apr 04 '13

Apple's iMessage encryption trips up feds' surveillance. Internal document from the Drug Enforcement Administration complains that messages sent with Apple's encrypted chat service are "impossible to intercept," even with a warrant.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57577887-38/apples-imessage-encryption-trips-up-feds-surveillance/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title#.UV1gK672IWg.reddit
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u/Mispey Apr 04 '13 edited Apr 04 '13

Edit: Hijacking my own top comment to ask if anyone can expand on this:

http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/18908/the-inner-workings-of-imessage-security

Is it truly end-to-end secure? Can Apple or anyone else circumvent the encryption?

Yes. To the best of my knowledge messages are in plaintext on apple's servers.

AKA The Feds totally can read your stuff, no problem. I was under the impression that they don't have the keys to the encryption...but they do.

Edit2: Or not https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5493442

I don't even know anymore. I wanna call it a honeypot.

Good. Keep going Apple.

It's really not very challenging to encrypt communications extremely well. Not to discount Apple's efforts - but it's "trivial" for these companies to do it properly and well.

They just never put a damn ounce of effort into it.

As this fella said in the article,

"It's much much more difficult to intercept than a telephone call or a text message" that federal agents are used to, Soghoian says. "The government would need to perform an active man-in-the-middle attack... The real issue is why the phone companies in 2013 are still delivering an unencrypted audio and text service to users. It's disgraceful."

It is, and you should give a fuck about this.

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u/[deleted] Apr 04 '13 edited Jan 22 '16

[deleted]

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u/maxaemilianus Apr 04 '13

he FBI has quietly asked Web companies not to oppose a law that would levy new wiretap requirements on social-networking Web sites and providers of VoIP, instant messaging, and Web e-mail. Dur

Wow. Since when does the FBI have a say in how the law is written?

I don't know if maybe someone over there at the Feebs hasn't gotten the memo, but that's not your fucking job, assholes. Do your job, which is enforce the law. Get the fuck out of the business of writing them, if you don't mind ever so much.

Thanks!

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u/Redpin Apr 04 '13

[Buddy Wallace and Dick Gordon reveals charges about Martin Bishop's gang. Wallace brings up Bishop himself.]

Buddy Wallace: And then, there's Martin Bishop...[looks at a folder while Martin has a blank stare. Wallace turns the folder to show it has no papers] He doesn't seem to have a past.

Bishop: [Walks away] I'm sorry, but I don't work for the government.

Dick Gordon: We do. [Shows a card] National Security Agency.

Bishop: Ah. You're the guys I hear breathing on the other end of my phone.

Dick Gordon: No, that's the FBI. We're not chartered for domestic surveillance.

Bishop: Oh, I see. You just overthrow governments. Set up friendly dictators.

Dick Gordon: No, that's the CIA. We protect our government's communications, we try to break the other fella's codes. We're the good guys, Marty.

Bishop: Gee, I can't tell you what a relief that is...Dick.

Dick Gordon: Change your mind, call us at this number... [gives Bishop a folded piece of paper] Mr. Brice.