Apple iCloud

2020: Apple refused function of enciphering of backup copies in iCloud after the complaint of FBI

Apple refused plans to permit users to perform end-to-end enciphering of backup copies of the data in a cloud service of iCloud. The company made such decision because of discontent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to Reuters, department of FBI of fight against cyber crime did not approve plans of Apple as they would deprive their of one of the most effective methods of obtaining proofs against suspects. One of interlocutors of the agency told that Apple did not want charges of protection of criminals and therefore it decided to refuse end-to-end data encryption of iCloud.

Apple refused plans to permit users to perform end-to-end enciphering of backup copies of the data in a cloud service of iCloud

They decided that they will not stick with a stick into a bear any more — told a source.

Disputes on that, encryption keys are obliged or not to the company to provide to courts and FBI proceed since 2016. Then the Ministry of Justice tried to achieve access to the decrypted data from Apple. They wanted to check phone of one of attackers to San Bernardino (State of California).

Apple was afraid. that if the mechanism for a bypass of a security system is created, the authorities will go further and will demand development of the code for a call recording, access to the camera and tracking of location of the owner.

The founder of Telegram Pavel Durov in January, 2020 called iCloud "the shadowing tool". According to him, "applications which rely on it for storage of your private messages (such as WhatsApp) are a part of a problem".

Durov expressed readiness to protect the mystery of correspondence of users of Telegram even if for this purpose it will be required to go against the legislation of the USA.

Earlier in January, 2020 Apple confirmed that it studies all photos and video by users. It turned out that the company scans all media content which passes through iCloud online storage. It becomes allegedly for the purpose of fight against a child pornography and violence.^[1]

2019

Criminals learned to bypass blocking of iCloud in stolen iPhones

On February 7, 2019 it became known that criminals use several methods of an unblocking of the stolen iPhones blocked through iCloud. Read more here.

The cybercriminal is sentenced to a prison term for blackmail of Apple

To the cybercriminal who tried to blackmail in 2017 Apple company, it is sentenced to a prison term with a delay for 2 years^[2][3].

On March 12, 2017 22-year-old Kerem Albayrak from Northern London sent the e-mail to a security service of Apple, claiming that it has an access to a huge data archive of accounts of iCloud and other Apple services which he was going to sell using "Internet friends". The malefactor demanded from Apple to provide it $75 thousand in cryptocurrency or $1000 in the form of gift cards of iTunes in exchange for removal of the database. Albayrak threatened that he will reset settings of 319 million accounts iCloud and will publish databases in Network if its requirements are not fulfilled.

A week later Albayrak filmed as he gets access to two accounts of iCloud, and then posted video on YouTube, having sent the link to a security service of Apple and several media. Two days later the criminal demanded already $100 thousand threatened to reset settings of each account of iCloud at its order.

Apple contacted law enforcement agencies of Great Britain and the USA, and the National Criminal Agency (NCA) headed investigation in Great Britain. On March 28, 2017 the staff of National division on fight against cyber crime of NKA arrested Albayrak at the place of residence in a northern part of London. During a search digital devices, including phone, computers and the hard drive were withdrawn.

Investigators also detected the telephone records showing that Albayrak was the representative of the cybercriminal grouping "Turkish Crime Family".

Albayrak is sentenced in 2019 to a prison term with a delay for 2 years and to 300 hours of corrective works.

2018

Data of clients of Apple in China  the local state company began to manage

On July 18, 2018 it became known that data of clients of Apple in China the local state company — China Telecom began to manage. The agreement was signed against the background of the growing concern of U.S. authorities on the fact that Beijing can have access to the American technologies and confidential information.

Apple went for opening of access to iCloud to execute the Chinese law on cloud services. According to local regulations, data of the Chinese users need to be stored in the territory of the People's Republic of China. Rules do not extend to accounts which are registered outside China.

On July 18, 2018 it became known that data of clients of Apple in China the local state company began to manage

In January, 2018 Apple stated that iCloud services on continental China will be controlled by the local partner — Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD) company. The last manages data center of Apple which for $1 billion was constructed in 2017.

Apple was criticized for cooperation with GCBD, and the American corporation suggested to close iCloud accounts before they passed under management of the Chinese company. At the same time Apple stated that the innovation will allow "improve the speed and reliability" service.

On July 18, 2018 China Telecom in the account WeChat wrote that GCBD will transfer data of all Chinese users of iCloud to servers of the cloud company Tianyi belonging to the Chinese national telecom operator. Apple confirmed this migration to the TechCrunch edition. E-mails, text messages and encryption keys which protect data of users are stored in iCloud.

According to critics of the solution of Apple, data movement of a part of users of iCloud to China will simplify process of shadowing owners of devices of the company. The authorities of the People's Republic of China can request within the legislation data of users from Apple whereas before it was necessary to get permissions at the American authorities.^[4]

Use of a cloud infrastrutura of Google

In February, 2018 Apple for the first time confirmed use of cloud infrastructure of Google in work of the iCloud service.

In a public access there was a report on security of the Apple iOS Security Guide in which it became known that the company uses Google Cloud Platform and also Amazon Web Services (AWS) for data storage of iCloud. Link to the document.

The ciphered fragments of files are stored without information which can identify users. Third-party services of data storage, such as Amazon S3 and Google Cloud, said in material are used.

Apple uses a cloud of Google for iCloud

In the former document revision as the CNBC TV channel paid attention, instead of Google Cloud Platform the Microsoft Azure platform appeared. The CRN edition, referring to the sources, earlier reported that Apple uses AWS less and as third-party services it is necessary on a cloud of Google more.

At the same time it is unknown when Apple began to use infrastructure of Google and what data stores there. Apple, Google and Microsoft did not respond to the requests of journalists.

In March, 2016 on the website of CRN there was a publication in which it was said that Apple became the client of Google Cloud Platform.

The technical director of supplier company of IT solutions of TSP Michael About (Michael Oh) considers remarkable desire of Apple to use services of large cloud providers instead of increasing own cloud infrastructure for iCloud and other services. Though it means that Apple helps to start working to competitors.

Apple it seems has resources for creation of the data centers. Probably, it is good that they use platforms of others. I remember when iCloud often criticized for failures and other problems, but a lot of time passed since then when I heard these critical remarks. Perhaps, it because they use the same infrastructure on which others rely — O. reported[5]

2016

Apple saves the photos deleted with the user in iCloud

Photos of users of devices running iOS 8.1 and later versions cannot be deleted physically, and still some time they remain in iCloud. On Thursday, August 25, announces the d-russia.ru portal with reference to experts of the Russian company Elcomsoft it. As long "remote" image is still stored in a cloud, it is unknown, however the oldest photo detected by specialists of Elcomsoft lay in iCloud more than half a year.

As experts explain, starting with version 8.1 in iOS there was an iCloud Photo Library function allowing to delete not at once pictures forever. After removal of the photo get to an album "Recently Remote", and within 30 days the user can recover them. In 30 days pictures are removed forever or at least so looks. Nevertheless, according to experts of Elcomsoft, actually photos do not disappear, and remain in a cloud from where the limited group of people can get them (except for the owner of photos).

According to Katalov, data of the Russian users are stored in the territory of the USA in the data centers of Amazon, Microsoft, Google rented by Apple company and AT&T. Encryption keys are stored together with information therefore both Apple, and the above-mentioned companies can get access to "remote" photos. Besides, according to the document describing interaction of Apple with government intelligence agencies, the company is obliged to transfer the data which are stored on its servers on their request.

According to experts of Elcomsoft, the vulnerability detected by them is an error in software, but not purposely left backdoor.

Apple increased iCloud amount up to 2 Tbyte

The user can increase the amount of the cloud storage for $19.99 (about 1300 rubles) a month. Storage cost practically matches the prices of storage in a cloud of Google ($9.99 a month for 1 Tbyte) and is a little higher, than at Microsoft ($6.99 a month for 1 Tbyte).

At the same time the company saved former tariff plans, notices The Verge LIFE^[6]. As before, rates of $0.99 a month for 50 Gbytes, $2.99 — for 200 Gbytes and $9.99 — for 1 Tbyte are available to users. Users also by default will continue to receive 5 Gbytes in iCloud free of charge.

2015: Apple reduced the prices of the cloud storage of iCloud in Russia

Apple reduced the prices of data storage in a cloud service of iCloud for the Russian users. Since September 25, 2015 the following tariff plans begin to work: 50 GB — p59 in a month, 200 GB — p149 in a month and 1 TB — p599 in a month. Discounts at annual payment are not provided any more. 5 GB are provided still free of charge^[7].

If till September 16, 2015 the user purchased a tariff plan with payment in a year, it will be able to continue to use the purchased tariff plan after a year at the same price. If the user purchased a tariff plan with payment in a month, after September 16, 2015 it will be automatically transferred to a new tariff plan. Upon transition from a tariff plan with annual payment on any tariff plan of a new line the possibility of return vanishes.

Old rates

Earlier the following rates worked: 5 GB are free, 20 GB — p39 in a month, 200 GB — p149 in a month, 500 GB — p379 in a month, 1 GB — p749 in a month.

Thus, two tariff plans (20 GB and 500 GB) are abolished, and one new — 50 GB appeared. Cost 1 TB in a month fell by 20%. The cost of 200 GB remained at the previous level.

Comparison with competitors

For comparison, Google offers 15 GB of free space (three times more, than Apple). The cost of 100 GB is $1.99 in a month (p131), and $1 TB — 9.99 (p659). At the same time the maximum volume in Google Drive in 30 is more, than at Apple, also is 30 TB.

At Microsoft free of charge 15 GB, as well as at Google. 100 GB cost p72 in a month, 200 GB — p144, 1 TB — p199.

The Dropbox service, in turn, offers free of charge 2 GB. 1 TB costs $9.99 per a month (p659), i.e. as well as at Google.

2014

iCloud increases security

On September 18, 2014 it became known that the Apple corporation increased security of a cloud service of iCloud.

Service includes function of two-factor authentication and malefactors cannot get data access of users of IOS-DEVICES whose backup copies are stored on iCloud.

Now for login of iCloud, the subscriber of service needs to enter the code sent to the IOS-DEVICE without which the user will not be able to get access to the account. After that the message that login is successfully made comes to e-mail. An exception is the Find My Phone service access to which requires only the identifier Apple ID.

Function of two-factor authentication provides additional protection of the user account. For this purpose at login not only the user name and the password, but also unique confirmation codes are requested. Thus, even if the swindler also learns the password, it will not be possible to get access to an account to it. This function is implemented on many online services, including Google, Twitter and Facebook.

On the materials Security Lab.

Apple: accounts of iCloud can be hacked using false certificates

Specialists of Apple urge the users of iCloud.com service coming on it via browsers to pay attention to messages about unreliable digital certificates — in connection with the messages about the attacks which arrived the other day against iCloud in China^[8].

Via the browser it is possible to manage space of storage of iCloud, to use the iWork Apple office suite, to add contacts and tasks of the calendar, to browse the pictures loaded from IOS-DEVICES.

In the publication on the website GreatFire.org suspicions express that behind attacks on iCloud in China there are power structures: the government of the country watches closely use of the Internet and subjects Network to censorship, and cracking of iCloud is allegedly necessary for control over users of the new iPhone models.

Apple confirmed the fact of the attacks on iCloud made by the principle "the person in the middle" — by interception of traffic between service and the user using unreliable certificates.

It is remarkable that with recommendations about protection are mentioned in the document of Apple Chrome, Firefox and Safari, but is not present Internet Explorer, the browser, most popular in China, according to the companies Statcounter and NetApp. Apple emphasizes that if in attempt to come on iCloud via the browser you received the message about the unreliable certificate, it is impossible to agree to its use.

2012: Apple looks for geniuses for development of cloud services

Apple actively looks for top managers who will help it to make break on the cloud market. The company constructed huge DPC in the USA and, most likely, prepares an output to the market of new services.

Apple wants to become the leader in the market of cloud services. At the moment the company is engaged in search of top managers who would have solid experience of development of web services. Wall Street Journal reports about it.

According to the edition, Apple already agreed about employment with one famous web entrepreneur whose name is not told. Besides, all key recruiting agencies are informed on requirements of the company.

Now Apple prepares a number of new cloud services. So, iTunes Match, service of storage of musical compositions by means of which they become available to any devices on which the iTunes program is installed is already started. The annual subscription to service costs $25.

Apple constructed DPC worth one billion dollars in Maydena, but appointment does not reveal him. Presumably it will be involved under cloud services 

Other new service from Apple, ICloud, represents the cloud storage and at the same time service of synchronization in which users can store and change contacts, event lists, the calendar and to store documents.

Most likely, Apple is configured on resolute break in the market of cloud services. So, in October it employed Scott Noteboom, before the director of Yahoo of data centers and infrastructure.

Also Apple spent already about $1 billion for construction of huge DPC in the USA, the city of Mayden, State of North Carolina. The area of the center is 500 thousand apartment of feet. And though the company did not report yet for what to it this server farm, the majority of sources consider that on its base all cloud services of Apple will be under construction and be rendered.

2011: Start of iCloud

The head of Apple company Steve Jobs announced in June, 2011 start of free web service iCloud for storage of music, photos and other content. iCloud will store content in a cloud and to automatically extend it to different devices of the user.

iCloud will synchronize e-mail, the contact list, the calendar, photos, applications, e-books, music and other files on different ustryostvo. Through "iTunes in the Cloud" service the music purchased in iTunes shop will extend to devices of Apple. The same will happen to photos through Photo Stream service.

For the music which is not purchased through ITunes, Apple offers "iTunes Match" service for 24.99 dollars a year. It collects musical files from personal collections of users and places their online. Nevertheless, in opinion, Jobs, probability is high that this music already will appear among 18 million musical files already available through iTunes.

Apple reported in April, 2012 that the number of users of a cloud service of iCloud exceeded 125 million people. The service allowing to synchronize data between devices of Apple and "cloud" was started together with iOS 5 firmware exit in October, 2011.

Notes