Explanation How To Remove The Microphone From Your iPhone And MacBook

Those who do not want to risk using a hacked iPhone or MacBook as a listening device can choose to remove the built-in microphone. Calls can then only be made by connecting a headset with a microphone, for example.

"There is no reason why these devices need those sensors to function," says Kyle Wiens from repair company iFixit opposite Wired . "And taking them apart to remove the microphone is not more difficult than repairing them." Users can switch off the microphone or even insert a cut-off jack in the microphone socket if it is already present, but according to experts this does not offer sufficient protection.

According to Richard George, a former technical director of the NSA who was involved in the design of the secure BlackBerry of President Obama, the trick with the microphone jack is not enough. A malicious application could bypass the fake microphone and still enable the real microphone. Anyone who wants to be sure of his case can also remove the microphone or have it done.

In the case of a MacBook, this appears to be fairly simple. So iFixit even has a manual for it. The microphone can also easily be connected again. The same operation with the iPhone is a lot more difficult and permanent. The iPhone also has four built-in microphones. Once again, iFixit offers extensive instructions for doing this yourself. A repair company that Wired spoke costs 75 dollars and says twice for privacy-oriented customers.

Last year whistleblower Edward Snowden advised that people who do not want to be spied or tapped would be wise to remove the microphone and camera from their smartphone. Recently, however , the Public Prosecutor announced that legitimate users have no reason to "demolish" the microphone from their device. The verdict was made in connection with the investigation into Ennetcom, a company that supplied custom BlackBerry smartphones to communicate encrypted. The microphone was removed from these phones.

BlackBerry CEO Cryptically On Assistance To Canadian Police

BlackBerry CEO John Chen has responded at a news that BlackBerry Canadian police would have the encryption key to the encrypted BlackBerry messages could decrypt. Chen does not want to confirm or deny the report.

Last week Vice Magazine came out with a report showing that Canadian police were able to decrypt encrypted BlackBerry messages. At that BlackBerry did not respond, but last night there appeared a blog posting by Chen . In it he argues that tech companies must meet reasonable court orders to give investigators access to data. He also repeated his earlier statement that it is objectionable as companies put their reputation over the public interest.

He then briefly discusses the case of the Canadian police, but would not say whether the Canadian police indeed received the encryption key. Chen said the only thing is that BlackBerry has held in this case to its own principles. "For BlackBerry, there is a balance of what is right, such as helping in the detection of criminals, and prevent government violate the privacy of citizens. We have found this balance, even though governments have pressured us to our ethical principles change."

BlackBerry Comes With Monthly Android Updates

Smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry is echoing include Google and Samsung also monthly Android updates will roll out, as it has announced. In the case of very serious Android leaks from the patch cycle will be rejected and the updates are immediately dispersed.

BlackBerry receives, like other manufacturers, each month a list of Google with recently discovered vulnerabilities in the Android platform. A month later, Google announced these vulnerabilities. According to David Kleidermacher BlackBerry is therefore important that the updates previously been patched. The smartphone manufacturer will therefore be rolling out monthly updates. The updates are currently only for the BlackBerry Priv, the privacy of the telephone company.

In the case of very serious vulnerabilities, for example, which are remote exploits, BlackBerry can intervene earlier.Depending on the severity of the vulnerability, the complexity of the update and time in relation to the monthly patch cycle, BlackBerry will roll out a "hotfix". In that case, the update for the problem is rolled out directly among users. Before rolling out the BlackBerry hotfixes working together with partners, but if necessary, the smartphone manufacturer may choose to distribute the update directly without the intervention of third parties.

BlackBerry Devices Vulnerable FREAK Leak

BlackBerry users has warned that a large number of devices vulnerable by FREAK flaw in SSL / TLS is that early March was unveiled. Through the vulnerability, an attacker who is between a target and the Internet is in some cases the encryption of the encrypted connection to downgrade to a weak encryption to crack then that and to see the encrypted traffic.

According BlackBerry are different versions of the operating system, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and other software vulnerable. The manufacturer says that the investigation into the leak is still running, but there's already decided to publish the vulnerable systems and software. An update is not yet available, but BlackBerry says that an attacker would first have to place between the user and the Internet to carry out an attack.

Default settings, common configurations, and general "best practices" would also help to prevent a successful attack.Furthermore, the problem would be solved if users send data that already are encrypted before they are sent over SSL. For example, in the case of S / MIME or PGP. When the BlackBerry FREAK leak will patch is unknown. This week came Apple and Microsoft already with updates.