蘋果擬強化用戶iCloud備份的加密
Apple is working on new ways to strengthen the encryption of customers’ iCloud backups in a way that would make it impossible for the company to comply with valid requests for data from law enforcement, according to people familiar with its plans.
蘋果(Apple)正在研發新的方法來強化對用戶iCloud備份的加密。據熟悉該計劃的人士稱，這將使得蘋果在面對執法部門發出的有法律效力的獲取數據的請求時，無法提供任何幫助。
The move would bolster Apple customers’ security against hackers but also frustrate investigators who are currently able to obtain data from Apple’s servers through a court order. Apple has complied with thousands of such orders in the past.
此舉不但可以提升蘋果用戶享有的安全性、防範黑客攻擊，而且會讓調查人員徒勞無功。調查人員目前可以藉助法庭令從蘋果服務器獲得數據。過去，蘋果已遵照執行了幾千個這樣的法院令。
Developing such technology is in some ways more complex than adding the kind of device-level security that Apple introduced to the iPhone in 2014 with its iOS 8 update.
從某種角度講，研發這類技術要比添加那種設備層安全更復雜。2014年，蘋果利用其iOS 8更新將設備層安全引入iPhone。
Building new protections that mean Apple no longer has access to iCloud encryption keys may inconvenience some customers. Such a change would most likely mean that customers who forget their iCloud password may be left unable to access their photos, contacts and other personal information that is backed up to Apple’s systems.
建立新的防護措施意味着，蘋果不再能夠訪問iCloud加密密鑰，這可能會爲部分用戶帶來不便。這種變化最可能導致的是，如果用戶忘記iCloud密碼，可能就無法訪問他們的照片、聯繫人以及備份到蘋果系統上的其他個人信息。
The plan adds a new twist to Apple’s legal fight with US authorities over access to the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone. The case has divided US public opinion between those who believe that Apple should help investigators trying to unlock Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone, and others who agree with chief executive Tim Cook that doing so would create a dangerous precedent that threatened customer security.
該計劃爲蘋果與美國當局圍繞是否該解鎖聖貝納迪諾槍擊案兇手的iPhone手機而爆發的法律戰增添了新的波折。這宗槍擊案使美國輿論出現了分歧，其中一方認爲蘋果應幫助調查人員嘗試解鎖賽義德•里茲萬•法魯克(Syed Rizwan Farook)的iPhone，另一方則贊同蘋果首席執行官蒂姆•庫克(Tim Cook)的主張，即這麼做將樹立一個危險的先例、對用戶享有的安全性構成威脅。
In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Mr Cook said that complying with the FBI’s demand to create a new version of its operating system, which would allow investigators to break into the iPhone, would be like writing “the software equivalent of cancer”.
庫克週三接受ABC News採訪時表示，聽從美國聯邦調查局(FBI)的要求開發一個新版本的操作系統（這將讓調查人員能夠侵入那部iPhone），就像是編寫“等同於癌症的軟件”。
“There are many things technology should never be allowed to do. The way you do not allow it, is to not create it,” Mr Cook said.
他說：“有很多事情是技術永遠不該去做的。不允許它去做的辦法就是別去創造它。
“Security gets better with every software release that we have. Encryption gets more advanced. It has to, to stay one step ahead of the bad guys.”
“我們每發佈一個版本的軟件，安全性就提高一級。加密變得更加先進。爲了比那些壞傢伙領先一步，不得不如此。”
Last week, in a conference call with reporters, when asked if the iPhone maker would take further steps to harden its products, an Apple executive said that it was reasonable to expect that Apple would continue to strengthen its security.
上週，在與記者們的電話會議上，當有人問到蘋果是否會採取進一步舉措來強化其產品時，一名蘋果高管表示，認爲蘋果會繼續加強其安全性的想法是合理的。
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Apple engineers had already begun developing new security measures that would prevent authorities from accessing an iPhone, even if they were equipped with the kind of software tool that the company is fighting not to write.
《紐約時報》(The New York Times)週三報道稱，蘋果工程師已開始開發新的安全措施，這些措施將使得當局無法獲取iPhone的信息，即便它們搭載了該公司正努力抗爭不去編寫的那種軟件工具。
Apple declined to comment on its plans.
蘋果拒絕就其計劃置評。
Speaking to ABC, Mr Cook said that he would be prepared to take its current fight with the FBI to the Supreme Court if necessary.
庫克在接受ABC採訪時表示，若有必要，他將準備把眼下與FBI的這場法律戰打到最高法院(Supreme Court)那裏。
“If a court compels Apple to write this piece of software, to place a backdoor in the iPhone, we believe it does put hundreds of millions of customers at risk,” he said. “This is not about one phone, this is about the future.”
他說：“如果法庭強迫蘋果編寫這種軟件、爲這部iPhone植入後門，我們相信這會使無數用戶處於危險之中。這關乎的不是一部手機，而是未來。”
