Re: file encription/decriptoin iOS
Re: file encription/decriptoin iOS
- Subject: Re: file encription/decriptoin iOS
- From: Sandor Szatmari <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2017 07:16:52 -0400
Jens,
Sandor
> On Jun 27, 2017, at 01:24, Jens Alfke <email@hidden> wrote:
>
>
>> On Jun 26, 2017, at 7:25 PM, Sandor Szatmari <email@hidden>
>> wrote:
>>
>> This is an interesting thread. The OP's original question made me think of
>> the functionality Apple recently (how recently I'm not sure) added to the
>> iOS Notes app. It allows you to selectively 'encrypt' (password protect) a
>> note. This functionality allows you to pass your phone to someone to let
>> them read a note and not worry about them skipping to your note with all
>> your 'secret info'. Also, if someone got your phone in an unlocked state,
>> (it could happen I guess) they couldn't trust a Mac and browse to plain text
>> files.
>
> I hadn’t heard of that feature. It seems a bit odd, but I suppose people do
> share devices.
> Does Apple explicitly refer to this as “encryption"?
Yea, they refer to it as 'Lock Note' and you click on the share icon (the
rectangle with the arrow pointing out the top) to access it. You provide a
password (one for all locked notes) and you can enable Touch ID. I don't know
if the files are actually encrypted, but the UI behavior made me think that the
OP was looking for something along these lines. It provides a 'sense' of
security. But as has been so eloquently pointed out, if not done well it may
just be a sense and not actually secure.
> If not, I suspect that they’re simply storing a password with the note, and
> the GUI won’t display the note until you enter the password.
>
>> I must say at this point I whole heartedly agree with all the warnings for
>> implementing encryption schemes. But is there not also a valid use case
>> here? Unless I'm misunderstanding things, Apple seemed to think so.
>
> There’s some use in a scenario like this, and it could be a nice feature to
> add to apps … if there were a convenient and trustworthy file encryption API
> available. But there doesn’t seem to be. (I don’t know what it is about Apple
> and crypto APIs, but there appears to be zero interest in or competence at
> improving them. If anything, they appear to get worse over time.)
>
> —Jens
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