Short Bytes: “Cybersecurity legend” John McAfee has bashed the policies of American government’s stance on encryption. Taking Apple’s side, McAfee has offered FBI to allow him to decrypt the iPhone, free of charge. He called it a way to avoid the beginning of creation of backdoors in the devices.
Cybersecurity expert and US presidential candidate John McAfee has written an op-ed for Business Insider, expressing his views regarding this matter. Mr. McAfee believes that he should be allowed to decrypt the phone — free of charge — along with his team. But, why is he willing to do this? He called it a way to avoid the beginning of creation of backdoors in the devices.
“So here is my offer to the FBI. I will, free of charge, decrypt the information on the San Bernardino phone, with my team. We will primarily use social engineering, and it will take us three weeks. If you accept my offer, then you will not need to ask Apple to place a backdoor in its product, which will be the beginning of the end of America,” he writes.
In his op-ed, before making the offer, the cybersecurity legend doesn’t hesitate from expressing his concern. He says that even after the years of debate about the negative impacts of backdoors, the government has chosen to move ahead on a scary path.
“The FBI, in a laughable and bizarre twist of logic, said the back door would be used only once and only in the San Bernardino case,” he continues.
Calling it a black day and a beginning of the end of the US as a world power, he blames the government for pushing its people into the horizon where a cyber war is ticking like a time bomb.
It would be interesting to note the final outcome of this conflict as its effects are going to resonate in the political and technology arena for a long time.
You can read McAfee’s complete op-ed here and share your views in the comments below.
Also read: Ex-NSA Chief Defends End-to-End Encryption. Isn’t It Surprising?
