<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Listers</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">An interesting email from Fortune Magazine, Data Sheet.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature"> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is Jonathan Vanian, filling in for Robert Hackett while he is off.</i><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The battle between the public and private sector over encryption technology kicked into warp speed this week.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On Tuesday, a federal judge in Riverside, California ordered Apple to build a custom version of its iOS operating system that can be installed into the iPhone of one of the shooters responsible for the December rampage killings in<a href="http://link.fortune.com/click/6145920.22389/aHR0cDovL2ZvcnR1bmUuY29tLzIwMTUvMTIvMDcvc2FuLWJlcm5hcmRpbm8tc2hvb3RpbmctcmFuZ2Uv/55ba80258cc2b2e72d8b457aB8f2af76d"> San Bernardino</a>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Because the data inside the shooter’s iPhone is encrypted, the FBI can’t simply retrieve the information it wants from the device’s memory chips. Instead, it needs the device to be unlocked with the appropriate PIN number.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, Apple’s tough iPhone security measures make the process of guessing the phone’s PIN number a risky business. If the FBI enters the wrong PIN number too many times, the phone will permanently delete the stored data.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A special version of the iPhone operating system that would either bypass or remove that data-deletion feature would presumably make it easier for the FBI to crack the PIN number without fearing a total data wipeout.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Apple CEO Tim Cook was displeased with the court order and wrote a letter to customers in which he said the custom operating system is “too dangerous to create” because it circumvents the company’s security features.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cook claims that the government is asking Apple to weaken the measures it takes to encrypt its data. To create the custom software would set a bad precedent that “would hurt only the well-meaning and law-abiding citizens who rely on companies like Apple to protect their data.”</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That’s balderdash, the Department of Justice responded in the form of a<a href="http://link.fortune.com/click/6145920.22389/aHR0cDovL2ZvcnR1bmUuY29tLzIwMTYvMDIvMTkvZG9qLWFwcGxlLWNvdXJ0LW1vdGlvbi8/55ba80258cc2b2e72d8b457aBe03c39ad"> court motion</a>. The DOJ claimed that it won’t “require Apple to create or provide a ‘back door’ to every iPhone.” Apple’s public stance on the issue is only a “public brand marketing strategy.”</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now, representatives of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have<a href="http://link.fortune.com/click/6145920.22389/aHR0cHM6Ly9lbmVyZ3ljb21tZXJjZS5ob3VzZS5nb3YvbmV3cy1jZW50ZXIvcHJlc3MtcmVsZWFzZXMvYmlwYXJ0aXNhbi1jb21taXR0ZWUtbGVhZGVycy1pbnZpdGUtZmJpLWRpcmVjdG9yLWFwcGxlLWNlby10ZXN0aWZ5LWFib3V0LWVuY3J5cHRpb24/55ba80258cc2b2e72d8b457aB606aaa87"> invited</a>Cook and FBI Director James Comey to appear at a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing to discuss encryption, a topic that will almost certainly be debated during the upcoming presidential elections. Additionally, the House Judiciary Committee reportedly asked Apple officials to testify at a similar hearing <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://2" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2">on March 1.</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This chain of events presents a perfect storm to bring the topic of encryption to the public stage.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You have the world’s most valuable company, the U.S.’s leading criminal investigation and enforcement agency, and the controversial issues of terrorism, national security, and data privacy all intermingling.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Over the past few years, the topic of whether companies should ease up on encryption seemed to be of interest to only those deeply involved in the issue. Occasionally, there would be a mainstream news report on the issue. But generally speaking, the topic seemed to be of concern primarily to insiders or security conference attendees.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This time, considering the powerful players involved and its relation to a terrorist attack, the topic of encryption might stick around in the public forum.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jonathan Vanian</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://link.fortune.com/click/6145920.22389/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9Kb25hdGhhblZhbmlhbg/55ba80258cc2b2e72d8b457aB3bf000bc" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">@JonathanVanian</font></a></p><p style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://link.fortune.com/click/6145920.22389/aHR0cDovL2pvbmF0aGFuLnZhbmlhbkBmb3J0dW5lLmNvbQ/55ba80258cc2b2e72d8b457aBfc80f467" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">jonathan.vanian@fortune.com</font></a></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em>Welcome to the Cyber Saturday edition of Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily tech newsletter. Fortune reporter Robert Hackett is off for the week. You can reach <em>him<em>via Twitter, <a href="http://link.fortune.com/click/6145920.22389/aHR0cHM6Ly9jcnlwdG8uY2F0Lw/55ba80258cc2b2e72d8b457aB259a2554">Cryptocat</a>, <a href="http://link.fortune.com/click/6145920.22389/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5qYWJiZXIub3JnLw/55ba80258cc2b2e72d8b457aB582a7a81">Jabber</a>, PGP encrypted email, or however you (securely) prefer. </em></em></em><em>Feedback welcome.</em></span></p><br><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);"><b>Ali Hussein</b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);"><b>Principal</b></span></div><div><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hussein & Associates</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">+254 0713 601113 / 0770906375</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Twitter: @AliHKassim</span></p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font></font></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Skype: abu-jomo</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim</a></span></p><font><br></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div>"Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);"><br></span></div>Sent from my iPad</div></body></html>