Apple's software chief refuses to 'tu back the clock' on iPhone security - CNET

The case has seen the likes of Google and Microsoft lend their support to Apple, while Republican presidential contender Donald Trump has called for an Apple boycott.

But for Apple's software team, it's a simple matter of not losing ground in a critical battle.

"Our team must work tirelessly to stay one step ahead of criminal attackers who seek to pry into personal information and even co-opt devices to commit broader assaults that endanger us all," Federighi wrote in his op-ed. "Sadly, these threats only grow more serious and sophisticated over time."

Just as Apple fans wouldn't want the company to take the stage to launch an iPhone with last year's specs, Federighi said Apple's security team isn't happy with old security either.

The encryption technology built into today's iPhone represents the best data security available to consumers...

That's why it's so disappointing that the FBI, Justice Department and others in law enforcement are pressing us to tu back the clock to a less-secure time and less-secure technologies. They have suggested that the safeguards of iOS 7 were good enough and that we should simply go back to the security standards of 2013.

But the security of iOS 7, while cutting-edge at the time, has since been breached by hackers. What's worse, some of their methods have been productized and are now available for sale to attackers who are less skilled but often more malicious.

These Idea resonate all the more after security researchers on Sunday announced the discovery of ransomware targeting Apple's Mac. The malicious software, which takes control of a computer until its owner pays a ransom, is believed to be the first targeting the Mac in the real world.

According to Federighi, the defenses that Apple's teams of engineers work hard to maintain are the very protections that keep malware out of its devices and keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands.

"Criminals and terrorists who want to infiltrate systems and disrupt sensitive networks may start their attacks through access to just one person's smartphone," he said.