Apple: Stolen Celeb Nudes Were Result Of Good Guessing, Not Data Breach

Consumerist ^ | September 2, 2014

[Swordmaker]

Where is the encryption key stored? That’s the bit I’m having trouble understanding, it would appear to be network accessible if Johnny Blackhat was able to decrypt, and if indeed all it takes is a “forgotten password” recovery to access the decrypted data online, then you can say the security is fairly weak (protects your data from a server compromise, but that server is probably more secure than the typical password anyway.) It’s a terrible price to pay for a backup service. Again, perhaps I misunderstand the purpose of the service.

There are two encryption keys.

One is kept by the system administrator. That key is the 256bit encryption that further encrypts what the user sends to Apple after it is made anonymous and bundled in larger packets for storage. For foreign storage, the key is not kept with the data but in Apple's secure servers in the USA. For example, China has just required Apple to store the data for Chinese citizens inside China and Apple has agreed. The data is being stored on servers being supplied by ChinaTelecom, but, per the negotiated agreement the 256 bit key is off shore in the USA.

The second key never leaves the user's devices. That key is the one that encrypts the user's data on their devices to 128bit before being uploaded to Apple. It is kept on the devices as a hash.

Without both keys, the stored data cannot be deciphered back to usability. This is akin to a safe deposit box system.

The user never knows anything about the Apple iCloud server 256bit key. That sys admin behind the scenes stuff. All the user needs is the one for his Apple ID. . . which never leaves his device and should never be shared or used elsewhere. But people being people. . .

Someone could steal the raw data from Apple's drives and all they'd have is anonymous gobbledygook. If they could somehow get a hold of Apple's 256 key and decipher the blocks they've got, they'd have anonymous data, encrypted to 128bit, with millions of individual keys that simply aren't there. Even Apple cannot decipher the 128bit gobbledygook into anything usable. If someone intercepts the deciphered data being sent from Apple to the user—either in cellular, which itself is further encrypted during transmission, or over WIFI, which also can be encrypted—or from the user to Apple, all they'd get is keyless 128bit gobbledygook. Only at the device level, with the user's password, the key, is the 128bit encrypted data finally deciphered to usability.

So, for the "locked up data" in the vault, Apple has one key, and the user keeps one.

Apple requires passwords to be at least eight characters, contain upper and lower case, and at least one number, and when they are first input the level of strength is shown to the user as a red (weak) through green (strong) spectrum bar. Apple will not accept passwords that are too weak, are inclusive of anything in their names, emails, include consecutive characters, etc.

[Swordmaker]

Well it turns out the new model has flaws that may well be more prone to comprimise thanthe old system. You talk bout 2 factor authent8cation- the problem isn’t PR, its the model.

In what way is the model lacking, Quimby? I use iCloud for numerous devices and both personally and in my business. It is also in use in my clients' businesses, some of which have HIPAA requirements far beyond merely securing nude photos. These are not at risk. I challenge these yahoos to break into my iCloud accounts. . . try finding the answers to my security questions by knowing anything about me. I am not so foolish as to put honest answers in such questions. Instead I have a simple method for answering such questions that I cannot forget, but no one can use a Ouija board to discover might be correct. . . Because they just aren't. And the answers are different for every site that requires such questions.

Two factor authentication is the method used by the ID lock organization to protect people from ID thieves. If someone tries to open a credit card in your name using your ID, they cannot open it, unless they contact you and you prove you authorized it. Simple.

That being said, nothing is perfect. Even those under Lifelock protection have had their IDs stolen. Here, for example, two factor authentication was offered and the people who got compromised elected not to be bothered. . . and it's free. It's a balance between convenience and total lockdown.

[DBrow]

“You should definately not post naked pics of yourself on here.”

OMG is there a DELETE function? lol

[quimby]

In what way is the model lacking, Quimby?

We have discussed this before. I like a true file system ican access- icloud broadcasts everything to the net cause the qverage phone user cannot access their files without it. Everything that goes to the net has security risks.

[Swordmaker]

Thanks for your answer, Quimby. Yes, there is a risk. There is also a risk to local storage. . . total loss of your files. A business in my city had that happen. His building burned, along with his computer, his backup drives, and his paper files. . . he was going to sign up with an off site backup service. . . when he got around to it. Nope, he did carry a thumb drive backup home with him? . . But he kept it in his car. The car was parked in the back in the warehouse where the fire started. Total loss. His business is gone. Unrecoverable. $100,000 of accounts receivable un-billable. Customers, un-contactible. Contracts, un-fillable.

This business NEEDED to have its files located on the cloud, encrypted, password protected. Had they been, the fire could have been a minor wound rather than fatal.