INF10014 A1 - Exploratory Essay PDF

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Summary

Exploratory Essay - Should companies be forced to remove device safeguards to protect user’s information on the grounds of national security....

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Oxford!dictionary!defines!Safeguards!as!“a!measure!taken!to!protect!someone!or!something! or!to!prevent!something!undesirable”(Oxford!Dictionary!2016).!!Based!on!this!definition,!we! can!see!that!safeguards!has!been!used!for!about!as!long!as!there!has!been!dangers!or! threats!at!large.!The!aim!of!safeguards!being!a!good!and!positive!element!in!promoting!a! long!and!healthy!life.! In!a!modern!world,!safeguards!form!barriers!and!create!levels!of!security!that!keep!both!our! physical!selves!and!our!information!safe.!Safeguards!also!affect!everyone!no!matter!their! level!of!industrial!or!social!stature.!While!we!could!identify!every!type!of!safeguard,!I!wish!to! identify!and!demystify!how!safeguards!assist!in!a!world!highly!saturated!by!information! technology.!A!world!where!most!of!society!just!‘trust’!that!they!are!being!looked!after!and! sheltered!from!those!that!would!seek!to!abuse!safeguards!designed!to!protect.! My!aim!is!also!to!provide!clarity!towards!the!need!for!effective!safeguards!management!and! that!we!as!citizens!have!a!right!to!be!safe.!I!will!also!be!discussing!the!recent!discussions!in! the!media!towards!disabling!safeguards!to!prevent!unethical!safeguard!abuse!and!how!that! affects!national!security.! As!previously!defined,!!Safeguards!protects!or!minimises!the!potential!for!harm!or!damage! (Oxford!Dictionary!2016).!Two!common!forms!of!digital!safeguards!are!Passcodes!and! Encryption.!Could!it!then!be!assumed!that!to!remove!safeguards!such!as!Passcodes!and! encryption!would!make!our!personal!information!vulnerable?! Take!for!example!the!mobile!phone!and!it’s!utilisation!of!passcodes!and!various!levels!of! encryption!to!protect!information!/!data.!We!enter!passcodes!to!get!into!our!personal! information!and!many!programs!encrypt!user!data!to!prevent!unauthorised!access.!Some!of! that!information!is!protected!due!to!it!being!private,!sensitive!and!sometimes!even!illegal!in! content!and!purpose.!! We!use!passcodes!and!encryption!daily!in!logging!into!our!bank,!operating!our!mobile! devices!and!interacting!via!social!media!to!name!a!few.!The!information!held!in!these! devices!comes!with!an!expectation!of!safeguards!put!in!place!creating!increased!levels!of! safety!and!security.!With!most!citizens!comfortable!with!using!passcodes!and!knowing!the! obvious!benefits,!the!idea!that!we!want!to!stop!others!accessing!our!information!is! straightforward.!Also!considering!the!mass!media’s!constant!reminder!that!Information!is! powerful!and!that!we!need!to!protect!it.!! If!safeguards!are!clearly!an!integral!part!of!an!effective!system's!inner!workings,!is!there!a! chance!that!denying!access!or!withholding!information!could!ever!be!counterproductive!or! dangerous?! The!‘Information!Age’!brought!with!it!a!fresh!need!for!the!protection!of!information.!Data! encryption!became!a!quick!method!of!adding!a!protection!layer!enabling!safe!transmission! and!storage!of!information.!So!what!happens!when!safeguards!are!seen!as!getting!in!the! way!of!safety!and!security?!When!does!a!safeguard!actually!hinder!rather!than!help?!Should! 1

safeguards!be!removed!when!they!pose!or!protect!a!threat!such!as!information!piracy,! theft,!pornographic!crimes,!terrorism,!online!scams!or!defamation!to!name!a!few!examples?! Highlighted!in!a!recent!international!news!report!dated!December!2nd,!2015,!!a!terrorist! attack!in!San!Bernardino,!California!ended!in!the!death!of!14!people!including!the!gunman! and!seriously!injuring!22!others.!An!iPhone!was!found!when!searching!the!deceased! gunman’s!car.!Believed!by!the!FBI!to!possibly!hold!information!about!other!terrorist! activities,!they!attempted!to!unlock!the!phone!and!were!unsuccessful.!Safeguards!were!in! force!via!a!passcode!and!various!levels!of!encryption.!Greg!Botelho,!C.!(2016).!!The!FBI! turned!to!the!phone’s!manufacturer!(Apple!Inc.)!who!gave!advice!on!various!methods!of! possibly!obtaining!access!to!the!contents!of!the!phone.!When!the!FBI!still!could!not!gain! access!to!the!contents!of!the!phone,!they!asked!for!Apple!to!create!a!modified!version!of! the!Operating!System!that!would!be!installed!on!that!one!individual!iPhone.!! The!purpose!being!that!once!the!modified!Operating!System!was!successfully!installed,!the! various!safeguards!could!be!circumvented!thus!enabling!access!to!the!contents!of!the! phone.!After!much!deliberation!and!a!multitude!of!input!from!a!variety!of!sources!within! Apple,!Tim!Cook!(Chief!Executive!Officer!of!Apple!Inc.)!said!that!Apple!would!not!create!the! software.!The!FBI!instigated!legal!proceedings!in!an!attempt!to!force!Apple!to!comply!with! their!request.!After!a!month!of!legal!proceedings,!resolution!came!to!the!case!when!the!FBI! publicised!that!they!had!a!third!party!group!who!could!hack!the!phone!so!it!could!be! unlocked.!Therefore!“no#longer#requires#the#assistance#from#Apple”#(Apple!under!pressure!to! find!flaw!used!by!FBI!to!crack!iPhone!without!them,!2016).! Another!example!of!safeguard!exploitation!would!be!the!misuse!of!encryption!as!previously! stated!above.!Ransomware!is!used!for!the!purpose!of!extortion!and!has!not!slowed!down! since!it!came!to!light!just!over!10!years!ago!(Federal!Bureau!of!Investigation!2012)!!.! Cryptolocker!(a!type!of!ransomware)!was!designed!to!encrypt!files!and!demand!payment!for! decryption!(CryptoLocker!Ransomware!Infections,!2013).!In!2015,!Ransomware!is!targeting! businesses!with!tougher!encryption!and!higher!penalties!to!retrieve!files!(Ransomware!is!on! the!Rise,!2015).!Consumers!are!being!sent!infected!files!stating!that!they!are!from! businesses!such!as!Australia!Post!and!Telstra.!The!aim!being!to!get!the!receiver!to!click!a!link! and!have!their!computer!infected!(Grubb,!2014).!! A!2013!Report!by!the!Symantec!Corporation!highlighted!the!cost!of!cybercrime!in!Australia! at!1.06!billion!(2013!Norton!Report,!2013).!The!question!is!how!does!the!government!plan! on!!dealing!with!crimes!aided!by!abused!safeguards?!Taking!into!consideration!that!the! generation!and!experimentation!in!passcodes!and!encryption!is!not!a!criminal!act,!is!this! freedom!challenged!when!it!is!used!to!commit!a!crime?!If!a!criminal!chose!to!hide!evidence! behind!a!safeguard!designed!originally!to!protect,!could!a!Federal!or!political!body!force!the! removal!of!the!safeguard!to!make!that!information!accessible?! If!Apple!lost!the!case!and!were!forced!to!create!the!modified!Operating!System,!what!would! be!the!ramifications!of!such!an!action.!

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While!media!hype,!political!arguments!and!speculation!could!lead!many!to!believe!a!myriad! of!ulterior!motives,!Tim’s!response!through!His!open!letter!highlighted!various!concerns! about!the!upholding!of!privacy!(Evan Perez and Tim Hume, C, 2016).! Tim!Cook!elaborated!on!his!concerns!stating!that!if!Apple!were!forced!to!comply!with!the! FBI,!it!would!set!a!precedent!that!would!inevitably!undermine!the!privacy!of!iPhone!users.! "The!government!suggests!this!tool!could!only!be!used!once,!on!one!phone.!But!that's! simply!not!true.!Once!created,!the!technique!could!be!used!over!and!over!again,!on!any! number!of!devices,"!(Evan!Perez!and!Tim!Hume,!C,!2016).! Could!it!be!said!that!the!decision!by!Apple!not!to!assist!in!the!creation!of!a!modified! Operating!System!was!due!to!what!was!perceived!to!be!the!immediate!and!extended! implications!for!current!iphone!users!and!also!the!ramifications!for!future!users?!Is!the! removal!of!safeguards!a!clean!cut!scenario!or!is!there!more!to!be!considered?!! Using!Apple!iPhone!case!as!a!current!and!highly!valid!event,!Tim!Cook!commented!on!the! creation!of!the!modified!Operating!System.!“Once!created,!the!technique!could!be!used! over!and!over!again,!on!any!number!of!devices.!In!the!physical!world,!it!would!be!the! equivalent!of!a!master!key,!capable!of!opening!hundreds!of!millions!of!locks.”!(Customer! Letter!-!Apple,!2016).!! Another!consideration!is!the!amount!of!data!that!is!stored!online!due!to!it’s!portability!in!an! age!where!information!inaccessibility!is!not!excuse.!The!implications!of!removing!safeguards! on!portable!devices!becomes!unthinkable!considering!how!much!sensitive!and!private! nature!of!the!information!and!it’s!accessible!by!anyone!with!the!right!tools.!Without! passcodes!and!encryption,!online!storage!would!be!rendered!useless.! Predicting!the!future!of!data!storage!on!mobile!and!other!technological!device!usage! without!solid,!safe!and!secure!safeguards!in!place!would!create!feelings!of!worry!and! insecurity!in!most!people.!Tim!Cook’s!insight!into!the!future!of!the!case!was!that!a! precedent!would!be!created!that!would!be!readily!abused!when!needed.!! “If!the!legal!precedence!is!set!in!this!case,!that!can!mean!similar!rulings!to!any!other! communications!and!technology!company!going!forward.”!That!it!was!not!about!one!iPhone! but!about!the!security!and!privacy!of!information.!(Customer!Letter!-!Apple,!2016)! In!conclusion,!safeguards!affect!every!single!person!no!matter!who!they!are,!how!much! money,!political!power!or!industry!influence!they!have.!Without!the!inclusion!of!reliable! safeguards!in!systems!we!interact!with,!life!would!not!only!be!harder,!but!also!less! enjoyable!and!create!a!disjointed!society.!If!compromises!were!made!into!allowing!some! safeguards!to!be!modified,!what!then?!Will!this!create!more!problems!that!would!end!up! doing!more!damage!than!good?!The!questions!we!need!to!ask!ourselves!is!what!safeguards! function!around!us!each!day.!Are!those!safeguards!functioning!to!their!optimum!capacity! and!are!they!supporting!social,!industrial!and!political!inclusion!both!today!and!for!future! growth!and!protection.!

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References*and/or*Bibliography* safeguard!-!definition!of!safeguard!in!English!from!the!Oxford!dictionary.!(2016).![online]! Oxforddictionaries.com.!Available!at:! http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/safeguard!! [Accessed!2!Apr.!2016].* Greg!Botelho,!C.!(2016).!Apple!opposes!order!to!hack!gunman's!phone.![online]!CNN.! Available!at:! http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/18/us/san-bernardino-shooter-phone-apple-reaction! [Accessed!3!Apr.!2016].! Greg!Botelho,!C.!(2016).!Apple!opposes!order!to!hack!gunman's!phone.![online]!CNN.! Available!at:!http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/18/us/san-bernardino-shooter-phone-applereaction![Accessed!4!Apr.!2016].!

Apple!under!pressure!to!find!flaw!used!by!FBI!to!crack!iPhone!without!them.!(2016).![online]! RT!International.!Available!at:!https://www.rt.com/usa/337789-apple-security-pressure-fbi/! [Accessed!3!Apr.!2016].!

New!Internet!Scam.!(2016).![online]!FBI.!Available!at:! https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/august/new-internet-scam/new-internet-scam! [Accessed!3!Apr.!2016].! CryptoLocker!Ransomware!Infections!|!US-CERT.!(2016).![online]!Us-cert.gov.!Available!at:! https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA13-309A!! [Accessed!5!Apr.!2016].! Ransomware!on!the!Rise.!(2016).![online]!FBI.!Available!at:! https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2015/january/ransomware-on-the-rise!! [Accessed!6!Apr.!2016].!

Grubb,!B.!(2014).!Hackers!lock!up!thousands!of!Australian!computers,!demand!ransom.! [online]!The!Sydney!Morning!Herald.!Available!at:!http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/securityit/hackers-lock-up-thousands-of-australian-computers-demand-ransom-20140916-10hyyh!!! [Accessed!6!Apr.!2016].*

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2013!Norton!Report:!Total!Cost!of!Cybercrime!in!Australia!amounts!to!AU$1.06!billion.! (2016).![online]!Symantec.com.!Available!at:! https://www.symantec.com/en/au/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20131015_01! [Accessed!1!Apr.!2016].

Evan!Perez!and!Tim!Hume,!C.!(2016).Apple!opposes!order!to!hack!gunman's!phone.![online]! CNN.!Available!at:!http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/16/us/san-bernardino-shooter-phoneapple/!!! [Accessed!9!Apr.!2016].!

Customer!Letter!-!Apple.!(2016).![online]!Apple.!Available!at:! http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/!!! [Accessed!26!Mar.!2016].!

Obama,!Barack.!National#Security#Strategy#of#the#United#States#(2010).!DIANE!Publishing,! 2010.! Ransomware!becoming!a!serious!problem! Oswald,!E.,!2006.!Ransomware!becoming!a!serious!problem.!BetaNews,!July,!24,!p.2006.!

Hinton,!Andrew!et!al.!"PRISM:!A!tool!for!automatic!verification!of!probabilistic!systems."! Tools#and#Algorithms#for#the#Construction#and#Analysis#of#Systems!(2006):!441-444.! New!Internet!Scam.!(2016).![online]!FBI.!Available!at:! https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/august/new-internet-scam/new-internet-scam!! [Accessed!3!Apr.!2016].*

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