Tim Cook’s refusal to help FBI hack iPhone is validated by ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attack
The proliferation of the WannaCry ransomware last week unequivocally justifies Apple’s steadfast refusal to help the FBI break into an iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists. As a quick refresher, the FBI last year wanted Apple engineers to create a brand new version of iOS that would allow them to skirt around iOS security measures. As a precaution, a security setting in iOS wipes a device clean after 10 erroneous passcode entry attempts. The FBI, as a result, tried to force Apple to release a specialized version of iOS that would not include this security limitation.
So while Cook’s cancer analogy might have struck some as being extreme, the WannaCry ransomware saga last week proves that once a piece of malicious software is created, it’s impossible to keep it out of the hands of malicious actors. According to reports, the WannaCry ransomware — which infected more than 200,000 computers across 150 different countries in less than 24 hours — was based on an NSA exploit released by a hacking collective known as the Shadow Brokers. In fact, WannaCry began infecting computers worldwide just about 4 weeks after the Shadow Brokers released a treasure trove of NSA hacking tools and exploits for anyone in the world to explore and use... There’s probably more information about you on your phone than there is in your house… they’re also loaded with the location of our kids in many cases, and so it’s not just about privacy but it’s also about public safety.”
.. Incidentally, Microsoft on Sunday issued a statement blasting government agencies for hoarding dangerous exploits.
Finally, this attack provides yet another example of why the stockpiling of vulnerabilities by governments is such a problem. This is an emerging pattern in 2017. We have seen vulnerabilities stored by the CIA show up on WikiLeaks, and now this vulnerability stolen from the NSA has affected customers around the world. Repeatedly, exploits in the hands of governments have leaked into the public domain and caused widespread damage. An equivalent scenario with conventional weapons would be the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen.