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Apple Platform Security

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39 pointsolliej16 comments

> When a device goes missing and can’t connect to Wi-Fi or cellular—for example, a MacBook left on a park bench—it begins periodically broadcasting the derived public key Pi for a limited period of time in a Bluetooth payload. By using P-224, the public key representation can fit into a single Bluetooth payload.

This is clever, and the reason Apple chose P-224 specifically.

One of the things Apple is known for is taking technology and delivering an integrated solution that is super easy for the non-technical user to use. Apple has done the same with security. If you are a normal user that is not being actively targeted by a nation state, just buying and using a Mac or an iPhone with the default options results in a pretty secure by default scenario.

Unless you use Siri, in which case random contractors might listen to anything you intentionally or unintentionally say to Siri.

Source on this?

You couldn’t pay me to use a voice assistant, much less would I ever have a voice assistant in my home (Dear God, it scares me that people do this) - but AFAIK Siri doesn’t do this like Google does.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/28/apple-apologizes-for-listeni...

https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/23/20830120/apple-contractor...

The end result of this was, Apple brought the operation in-house and it's also now opt-in.

Wow. Goddamn hypocrites. I’m honestly not shocked but I wish I was.

So Apple’s ‘focus on privacy’ is pretty much just PR bullshit, then. That sucks. Was hoping for at least one last bastion of privacy.

Are "in-house" listeners supposed to be an improvement?

"it's also now opt-in."

I believe this is the improvement you are looking for.

PDF version: https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1902/en_US/app...

Yes I buy a lot of Apple stuff. Yes I think its more safe. But honestly, I think they only emphasize safety and security to differentiate from Facebook, Google and Microsoft. In the end this is only about marketing. To pump prices and margin. I still feel (ab)used, only in a different way.

Because they are making something you want?

Of course. But I'd must rather a company do the right thing for the wrong reasons than just do the wrong thing.

Besides, corporate "values" are flimsy and change at the drop of a hat. Profit is the only incentive that remains constant. I find it much easier to trust a company who does a good thing because it benefits their bottom line than one who does something just because the current leadership decides to do it out of the goodness of their heart.

I used to appreciate the security features of Apple products until it began to interfere with my freedom.

I’m telling this after wasting tens of hours to install a linux, any linux to my iMac Pro without success.

After, I don't know, maybe one ten of hours, wouldn't it make sense to check online and see what the situation with the T2 chip is?

Did you not think to, y’know, Google it?

It’s Secure Boot and the T2 that’s the issue, which can evidently be disabled:

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/11/appl...

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