U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts


Security officials in the United Kingdom have demanded that Apple create a back door allowing them to retrieve all the content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.

The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, and has no known precedent in major democracies. Its application would mark a significant defeat for tech companies in their decades-long battle to avoid being wielded as government tools against their users, the people said, speaking under the condition of anonymity to discuss legally and politically sensitive issues.

Read more…
Source: MSN News


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • The UK’s new offensive cyber unit takes on organised crime and hostile states

    November 19, 2020

    A new offensive force made up of spies, cyber experts and the members of the military is already conducting cyber operations to disrupt hostile state activities, terrorists and criminals, the UK government has revealed. The new group – known as the National Cyber Force – aims to tackle threats to the UK’s national security such as ...

  • Huge U.K. Defense Spending Boost Funds Cyber Force, Space Command And AI

    November 19, 2020

    U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday evening that the Ministry of Defence would receive an extra £16.5 bn / $21.8bn over the next four years. This is the largest investment in defense for 30 years and is on top of already agreed increases in spending. Johnson said that the massive increase was justified despite ...

  • Cybersecurity: One in three attacks are coronavirus-related

    November 3, 2020

    The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is ‘stepping up support’ for the National Health Service to help protect UK hospitals and other healthcare organisations against cyberattacks. The NCSC’s Annual Review 2020 reveals that the cyber arm of GCHQ has handled more 200 cyber incidents related to coronavirus during the course of this year – almost ...

  • Marriott fined £18.4 million by UK watchdog over customer data breach

    November 2, 2020

    The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Marriott £18.4 million over a 2014 data breach, heavily reducing the penalty originally planned due to COVID-19 disruption. The Marriot hotel group was subject to a 2014 data breach impacting the Starwood resort chain, acquired by Marriott in 2015. At the time, threat actors were able to infiltrate Starwood systems ...

  • London Hackney Council hit by ‘serious cyber attack’

    October 13, 2020

    Due to enormous amount of interest and following numerous requests from Cyber Security Review readers, Hackney Council says it has been hit by a “serious cyber attack”, which is affecting many of its services and IT systems. The council says it is working with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Ministry of Housing ...

  • Member of ‘The Dark Overlord’ hacking group sentenced to five years in prison

    September 21, 2020

    A UK national pleaded guilty today to extorting tens of companies across the world as a member of an infamous hacking group known as The Dark Overlord (TDO). Nathan Francis Wyatt, 39, was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay $1,467,048 in restitution to victims. According to court documents, Wyatt was part of the ...