Hariri Fellow Sharon Goldberg Weighs in on Apple Cybersecurity Case
Sharon Goldberg, a Hariri Institute Faculty Fellow and associate professor of computer science, has serious concerns about the FBI’s request to unlock Apple’s iPhone. Goldberg, a network security expert, sat down with BU Research to discuss the ongoing standoff between Apple and the FBI, as well as its potential to introduce substantial security risks for Apple and its users.
Goldberg explains that the FBI’s demand for Apple to write software that introduces a vulnerability into the iPhone would open the door to bugs and hardware attacks, not just for the iPhone in question, but for all Apple users. Goldberg adds, “our efforts to secure the internet are nowhere near where they need to be, and this would be a step backward at a time when we need to improve cybersecurity, not weaken it.” As Goldberg sees it, creating a method to circumvent the iPhone’s passcode security would likely drive “bad actors” to other devices, “[weakening] everyone’s security in hopes of making it easier to trap a few.”