Kaspersky Lab: iOS gradually becomes Android

On 13 June this year, Apple has provided developers access to the beta version of IOS 10 and for the first time in the history of the "apple" of the operating system on it was unencrypted. In the Network it has ignited heated debate - the company deliberately opened the core of it, or someone made the epic mistake?Last week, Apple has finally confirmed: the core deliberately left without encryption. Kaspersky Lab specialists believe that in this way the company has taken another step on the way Android.

"The kernel memory cache does not contain user data, Apple said. - The resignation of encryption allowed us to optimize operating system performance without compromising security. "

The experts decided to understand, if encryption does not affect the security of iOS, so the aim of the company encrypt the core of all these years? And why Apple has decided to cancel the encryption now?

The operating system kernel is the part that provides access programs hardware unit capacity: processor, memory, drive and so on. Kernel security largely determines the safety of the entire device - many of the security policies in applications can be implemented only if they are compatible with the kernel.

Why encrypt the core? Unencrypted a much easier core investigate this can make almost anyone, and behind closed doors (that is to say, encryption) no. However, the cancellation of encryption, in itself, does not really mean that the iPhone and iPad with iOS 10 will be less secure. Only now, developers of applications, security professionals and even cyber criminals - in general, almost all - for the first time in Apple's history can explore the core and, if lucky, to find in it some bug or vulnerability .

Is both good and bad - it all depends on what first detected vulnerability. If criminals, for sure that used in not very good purposes, and therefore, users suffer. If security professionals, I would like to believe, notify Apple, and the company will release a patch.

It is a career that constantly "play" the black hacker, a student of vulnerability in all so-and-white. In safe "Laboratory", however, that in the case of Apple, this step has a lot to change and for the company itself and its users.

Why Apple has taken the course on transparency and here the Android?

There is a market in which security professionals negotiate detected vulnerabilities. Even several of the markets - black, white and gray. Privacy policy Apple has made iOS vulnerability are more expensive than others, because it is more difficult to detect. For example, in the past year, the company paid an unknown Zerodium researchers a million dollars for the discovery of zero-day vulnerability in iOS 9.

Recently, the fbi tried to force Apple to hack your own device, and then acquired exploit "the party".Excluding the encryption engine, Apple has put sensitive blow to traffickers vulnerabilities: now the holes in the system will look for more people, so surely will find faster, and cost is reduced.

But Apple can quickly launch security updates and instep to the hole. If, of course, she may already know these vulnerabilities, since the awards program for their detection (Bug Bounty Program) of the "apple" of the company no. So trading vulnerabilities in the black or gray market hackers and researchers, is much more convenient.

At this rate, there is another probable effect. In recent years, Apple has struggled with джейлбрейками, and in recent times has been achieved in this special successes. So, now, for example, there are no solutions for breaking the latest at the time of writing this post iOS version - 9.3.2. The resignation of encryption makes the task of creating jailbreak, so for the tenth version of it will, and fast enough.

Also encrypted to the kernel code unties the hands of those like everything remodeling. Many users of devices яблочных stubbornly resist the privacy policy - like the ability to modify the operating system and install third-party applications and accessories. And look for ways to avoid restrictions imposed by Apple.

"The more open for developers and all iOS becomes, the more it approaches the Android - originally fully open (and particularly because it has so many problems with security). And it seems that many people like, "concluded the expert.