Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

Re:Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI compl... by zaroth on Tuesday January 21, 2020 @11:31AM (#22108394)

You do have the option. Local device backup with a password.

You can’t even turn off the backup password on an existing device for a new backup without knowing the old password (protecting against Evil Maid problem).

I’ve had to reset a device when I forgot my local iPhone backup password to get it back to unencrypted backups.

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Re:Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI compl... by sparker72678 on Tuesday January 21, 2020 @11:59AM (#22108706)

You're right, of course.

I had in mind an e2e encrypted backup on Apple's servers, which would be far more convenient than doing it locally. That's all.

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Re:Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI compl... by zaroth on Tuesday January 21, 2020 @12:15PM (#22108901)

Well yeah, hence TFA;

> More than two years ago, Apple told the FBI that it planned to offer users end-to-end encryption when storing their phone data on iCloud, according to one current and three former FBI officials and one current and one former Apple employee.

> Under that plan, primarily designed to thwart hackers, Apple would no longer have a key to unlock the encrypted data, meaning it would not be able to turn material over to authorities in a readable form even under court order.

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