Apple's security chief speaks out against sideloading on iPhones in new interview

Μια νέα αναφορά από το The Independent αυτό το Σαββατοκύριακο προσφέρει μια ενδιαφέρουσα μαwhatά στο γιατί και πώς η Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), "she's working hard to hack into her own iPhones." Ivan Krstić, Apple's head of security engineering and architecture, spoke to The Independent and explained why Apple feels the need to invest so heavily in security.

Συγκεκριμένα, ο Krstić αναφέρθηκε επίσης στο ενδεχόμενο η Apple να ανοίξει το iPhone σε καταστήματα εφαρμογών τρίτων και να φορτώσει παράπλευρα εφαρμογές λόγω της επικείμενης ρύθμισης στην European Union.

One of the most common arguments in favor of sideloading is that the vast majority of iPhone users would still choose to use the App Store.

Sideloading would simply be presented as a separate option for those who chose to take advantage of it. Krstić, however, believes this is a "big misunderstanding".

«Αυτή είναι μια μεγάλη παρεξήγηση – και μια που προσπαθήσαμε να εξηγήσουμε ξανά και ξανά. Η πραγματικότητα αυτού που επιτρέπουν οι εναλλακτικές απαιτήσεις διανομής είναι ότι το λογισμικό που χρειάζεται να χρησιμοποιούν οι χρήστες στην Europe – άλλοτε επιχειρηματικό λογισμικό, άλλοτε προσωπικό λογισμικό, κοινωνικό λογισμικό, πράγματα που θέλουν να χρησιμοποιήσουν – μπορεί να είναι διαθέσιμο μόνο εκτός του καταστήματος, εναλλακτικά διανεμημένο .»

In these types of scenarios, the end user wouldn't really have the option to use the App Store. Instead, they will be forced to use a third-party system – which Apple believes would not be as secure as the App Store. "In this case, these users have no choice to get this software from a distribution mechanism they trust," Krstić explained. "And so, in reality, it's simply not the case that users will retain the option they have today to get all their software from the App Store."

Apple executive Craig Federighi has also spoken out strongly against sideloading. In a speech two years ago, Federighi referred to sideloading as "the cybercriminal's best friend."

In an interview at WWDC this year, however, Federighi acknowledged that Apple had no choice but to comply with EU regulations on sideloading and third-party app stores.

Elsewhere in The Independent article, Krstić offers some interesting insight into Apple's security practices and the overall data breach, security and encryption industry. Krstić, for example, touched on how Apple often clashes with governments when it comes to protecting user data. "We don't see ourselves as facing governments," according to Krstić. "This is not what this project is about. But we feel we have a duty to defend our users from threats, whether common or, in some cases, truly serious."

You can read his entire interview in detail here