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British intelligence agencies are afraid of losing the ability to exploit vulnerabilities in Apple devices.
The U.K. is considering drastic cybersecurity measures that could include banning security updates for Apple products.
Under the new plans, tech companies including Apple will be required to notify the UK authorities before releasing any security update. If this update fixes a vulnerability that British intelligence agencies use for surveillance and data collection, the authorities may prohibit its release.
The new initiative is a continuation of the campaign against End-to-End encryption (E2EE), which began in 2017. Then the former head of MI5 warned the government about the risks of such a policy, but his warnings were ignored.
The former head of MI5 said that although encryption complicates the work of intelligence agencies, it is necessary to provide a safe space for users and is of strategic importance for the country's economic security. Apple recently announced that it may remove its iMessage and FaceTime services from the UK if the authorities insist on disabling end-to-end encryption.
The key point of the new initiative is that the British government can actually prohibit Apple from releasing security updates if they interfere with the actions of intelligence agencies. This decision causes great concern among cybersecurity experts, as vulnerabilities that are open to the needs of the state can be exploited by intruders.
Just Security experts emphasize that even if a vulnerability is discovered by security researchers, any delay in the release of updates increases the risks for users. This is especially true, given that most vulnerabilities become known after they are exploited by hackers.
Tech professionals deride such proposals as being technically illiterate. Experts warn that such actions can lead to massive security breaches and damage to users on a global level.
The U.K. is considering drastic cybersecurity measures that could include banning security updates for Apple products.
Under the new plans, tech companies including Apple will be required to notify the UK authorities before releasing any security update. If this update fixes a vulnerability that British intelligence agencies use for surveillance and data collection, the authorities may prohibit its release.
The new initiative is a continuation of the campaign against End-to-End encryption (E2EE), which began in 2017. Then the former head of MI5 warned the government about the risks of such a policy, but his warnings were ignored.
The former head of MI5 said that although encryption complicates the work of intelligence agencies, it is necessary to provide a safe space for users and is of strategic importance for the country's economic security. Apple recently announced that it may remove its iMessage and FaceTime services from the UK if the authorities insist on disabling end-to-end encryption.
The key point of the new initiative is that the British government can actually prohibit Apple from releasing security updates if they interfere with the actions of intelligence agencies. This decision causes great concern among cybersecurity experts, as vulnerabilities that are open to the needs of the state can be exploited by intruders.
Just Security experts emphasize that even if a vulnerability is discovered by security researchers, any delay in the release of updates increases the risks for users. This is especially true, given that most vulnerabilities become known after they are exploited by hackers.
Tech professionals deride such proposals as being technically illiterate. Experts warn that such actions can lead to massive security breaches and damage to users on a global level.