Four-digit passcodes remain a weak point in iOS 8 data encryption

The strength of Apple's revised encryption scheme in iOS 8 hinges on users choosing a strong passcode or password, which they rarely do, according to a Princeton University fellow. Apple beefed up the encryption in its latest mobile operating system, protecting more sensitive data and employing more protections within hardware to make it harder to access. The new system has worried U.S. authorities, who fear it may make it more difficult to obtain data for law enforcement since Apple has no access to it. Despite the new protections, data is still vulnerable in certain circumstances, wrote Joseph Bonneau, a fellow at the Center For Information Technology Policy at Princeton, who studies password security. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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