Apple's Tim Cook: 'There is no backdoor. The government doesn't have access to our servers'

Apple isn't colluding with the NSA to hand over user data and CEO Tim Cook wants you to know that. In fact, Cook feels so strongly about this issue of security that he's gone on record saying the government would need "to cart

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Apple’s Tim Cook On PRISM: “There Is No Back Door. The Government Doesn’t Have Access To Our Servers”

ABC News is planning to air an interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook this evening, but a few bits and pieces have already started trickling out. In the first big excerpt to be released, Cook touches on his concerns regarding the NSA and their deeply controversial PRISM surveillance program.

“The government doesn’t have access to our servers,” Cook says. “They would have to cart us out in a box for that.”

Here’s the transcript of the released excerpt:

David Muir: “What is your biggest concern — with the surveillance program here in this country?”

Tim Cook: “I’ve been pushing very, very hard to open the books and be totally transparent. Much of what has been said isn’t true; there is no back door. The government doesn’t have access to our servers. They would have to cart us out in a box for that. And that just will not happen. We feel that — strongly about it. But I do want to be transparent, because I think transparency would help put everything in perspective.”

David Muir: “Do you think Americans, Tim, would be more at ease if you could tell them more?”

Tim Cook: “I do.”

The Video:

Of course, as many have pointed out since companies first started making these sorts of official statements, there are many a concern that even “The government doesn’t have access to our servers” can’t sate. Talk of theoretical gag orders aside, one of the most disconcerting tenets of the PRISM program is the idea that the NSA doesn’t need a company’s approval (or even for the company to know) for them to start gathering data; they purportedly just snatch what they can as the data passes through the Internet’s central hubs.

In that case, all Apple can really do — besides fighting hard for transparency — is encrypt the hell out of things (like they do with iMessage) and hope their encryption is up to snuff.

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Google Play Music All Access customers are next in line for Glass

Google is expanding its pool of Explorers, slowly but surely. First it was people attending I/O; then friends of existing Explorers; now it's subscribers to Play Music All Access. To celebrate the release of Play Music on Glass (albeit a little belatedly), the tech giant is offering subscribers to its streaming service a chance to buy the fledgling wearable. Emails apparently started going out this morning (though, no Engadget editors have received theirs yet) inviting those eligible to request a place in the Explorer program. Of course, entry to the exclusive club still costs $1,500. Though, we're sure you'll been looking for something frivolous to spend your tax return on in a couple of months.

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Source: Android Central

Tags: allaccess, glass, google, googleglass, googleplay Next: TiVo co-founders joining forces for yet another set-top box
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Hacker tried to sell access to BBC server -- report

A Russian hacker wasn't exactly in the Christmas spirit when he reportedly tried to sell access to a BBC server on December 25.

Apparently first spotted by cybersecurity firm Hold Security, the recent attack hit a BBC FTP server and was conducted by a "notorious Russian hacker" known as "Hash" and "Rev0lver," Reuters reported on Sunday. No evidence has turned up indicating that the hacker stole any actual information.

But "Hash" attempted to make a Christmas Day profit out of his exploits, according to Hold Security founder Alex Holden. The hacker tried to sell access to the server to fellow cybercriminals, Holden told Reuters. "Hash" even showed other hackers certain information that could only be obtained by someone who controlled the server.

Holden confirmed the discovery in an e-mail sent to CNET:

We discovered the situation through our Deep Web Monitoring service. As a part of the service to our customers, we search the Deep Web (hacker forums and other communications) for any evidence of breaches of our customers' data. However, we often see other hacker activities like this one. In short, we saw hacker "Hash" trying to sell access to the BBC server. As a proof, he was offering a screenshot of his access which we found to be credible. To-date we saw no evidence that he was successful in selling this access or if any other data had been taken from BBC.

The server has since been secured, a person familiar with the cleanup effort told Reuters. But the BBC itself has been mum about the matter, telling Reuters that "we do not comment on security issues."

The FTP site was used by BBC reporters to send in stories and by advertisers to upload media files, according to BBC News.

Topics: Cybercrime, Security, Privacy and data protection, Vulnerabilities and attacks, Hacks Tags: BBC, hack, cybercriminal, security, hacker

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