August 23rd, 2010 by ahoogJust read the summary of a recent patent by Apple for additional security measures they, I presume, are building into iOS. Here’s one excerpt:
A photo or voice recording of the current user, or the current user’s heartbeat pattern can be compared to the photo, voice, or heartbeat pattern of the authorized user
via Five Ways the Apple Patent Will Improve iPhone and iPad Security – PCWorld Business Center.
Does anyone else find this a frightening development? Do you want Apple or your employer to know your heartbeat or voice pattern? And have the ability to pull “forensic data” at will. This sounds like a rootkit built especially for Apple, your employer or really anybody that wants to know everything about you (including if you had 1 too many coffees).
As mobile forensic experts, we can recover some of this information (the heartbeat thing is beyond our reach) but there are many controls in place. For criminal matters, there’s that whole search warrant thing. For personal/civil, people have to own the phone, have it in their physical possession, sign a 7 page contract and then send us the phone.
Would you want Ford or your employer to track every where you car goes, just in case it gets stolen? For the people cheering the improved security, I hope you think it through a bit more.
