John McAfee Will Hack the San Bernardino Phone to Save America

PatrickJS

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John McAfee Will Hack the San Bernardino Phone to Save America

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John McAfee says his team of expert hackers will break into the San Bernardino phone, free of charge, to prevent the creation of a backdoor that will lead to the downfall of America.

Apple creating a backdoor for the iPhone will be the end of America. At least, according to John McAfee, cybersecurity expert, Libertarian presidential candidate, and quintessential eccentric millionaire. The smart solution, he says, is just to let him hack the phone. Don't worry, FBI - I got this.

What began as a an attempt to extract evidence from the phone of the San Bernardino shooter may have evolved into a decision on the future of cybersecurity, and preservation of American liberties - not to mention, America itself.

Apple's Tim Cook opposed the order from the FBI [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/166455-Apple-Says-FBI-Demanded-iPhone-Backdoors] to create a backdoor for their smart phone. The potential software "would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession," and though the FBI insists they would only use it once and only for this phone, it would set a dangerous precedent - not to mention, there is no way of guaranteeing that "once" part.

McAfee takes it several sprinting steps further. In a statement to Business Insider [http://www.businessinsider.com/john-mcafee-ill-decrypt-san-bernardino-phone-for-free-2016-2], he likens the creation of a backdoor to a pre-emptive surrender in an eventual cyber war.

Says McAfee: "This is a black day and the beginning of the end of the US as a world power. The government has ordered a disarmament of our already ancient cybersecurity and cyberdefense systems, and it is asking us to take a walk into that near horizon where cyberwar is unquestionably waiting, with nothing more than harsh words as a weapon and the hope that our enemies will take pity at our unarmed condition and treat us fairly."

"No matter how you slice this pie, if the government succeeds in getting this back door, it will eventually get a back door into all encryption, and our world, as we know it, is over. In spite of the FBI's claim that it would protect the back door, we all know that's impossible. There are bad apples everywhere, and there only needs to be [one] in the US government. Then a few million dollars, some beautiful women (or men), and a yacht trip to the Caribbean might be all it takes for our enemies to have full access to our secrets."

Why is the U.S. so behind on cybersecurity? "Because the FBI will not hire anyone with a 24-inch purple mohawk, 10-gauge ear piercings, and a tattooed face who demands to smoke weed while working and won't work for less than a half-million dollars a year. But you bet your ass that the Chinese and Russians are hiring similar people with similar demands and have been for many years. It's why we are decades behind in the cyber race."

But Apple and the United States need not worry - McAfee has assembled the best team of hackers on the planet. "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." That's quite the offer.

He also suggests that any doubters can google "cybersecurity legend" to see whose name comes up in the top ten results (it checks out [https://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=cybersecurity%20legend&oq=cybersecurity%20legend&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.2769j0j1]), but really that just means he's good at SEO.

McAfee is a strange guy, sure, but it's hard to say he's entirely wrong about the backdoor program. Of course, should the FBI simply hand over the phone to him, well... let's hear what the Escapists have to say about that.

Source: Business Insider [http://www.businessinsider.com/john-mcafee-ill-decrypt-san-bernardino-phone-for-free-2016-2]




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T3hSource

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Complete nutcase, I love him.

Oh yeah, this is unnecessary, not only is the US government spying everyone, but acquiring the info through "social engineering" sounds rather fishy for a team of hackers. After that cyberhacker description, you'd think he'd say "social hacking".

What he says isn't complete gibberish, but is a good curtain for the info war that is waging behind the scenes as we speak.
 

Darth_Payn

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They're still trying to unlock he San Bernardino shooters' iPhone? What do they care? They're dead!
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

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Some days I like that guy. Other days I feel he's a person to keep a good distance from... Crazy genius in ways that scare me. The line is there and I don't know which side he stands on.
 

Barbas

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PatrickJS said:
Possible typo in the 7th paragraph:

There are bad apples everywhere, and there only needs to be [one?] in the US government . . .
T3hSource said:
'Social engineering' was described to me in a Security Fundamentals class as basically involving confidence tricks. It relies heavily on humans, which tend to be the weakest link in any security chain, and involves things like claiming to be someone you're not to gain access to stuff you shouldn't (phishing, pretexting). No idea how that plan of attack's going to help McAfee, though.
 

Wiggum Esquilax

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Is there a barely lucid, crack-addled, gun-toting millionaire developer creating security-compromising software that most people never wanted and will be completely uncontrollable if ever released?

Congratulations world, you're all about to get McAfee'd.
 

Zipa

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Darth_Payn said:
They're still trying to unlock he San Bernardino shooters' iPhone? What do they care? They're dead!
Some would say the FBI is using it as an excuse to get the back door into iPhones that they have wanted for a long time.
 

OldNewNewOld

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This is whole thing is starting to sound more and more like some of my convoluted and over the top anime plots. I'm interested in what's the next move gonna be. The crazy genius millionaire is assembling a team of other crazy geniuses in order to fight the evil mastermind. They will be facing off a series of dangerous puzzles in order to save the world... get some potentially useful but certainly out of date information from the encrypted phone.

He sounds like a cool nutcase.
 

LordMonty

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McAfee is a legend in his own life time, he walks where men dare to tread and did it all while high as a kite. frankly if the FBI were not litrtally trying to screw perosnal data security i'd say call his bluff I'm sure he'd do it somehow.
 

Anti-American Eagle

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PatrickJS said:
"Because the FBI will not hire anyone with a 24-inch purple mohawk, 10-gauge ear piercings, and a tattooed face who demands to smoke weed while working and won't work for less than a half-million dollars a year. But you bet your ass that the Chinese and Russians are hiring similar people with similar demands and have been for many years. It's why we are decades behind in the cyber race."
Of course the FBI aren't hiring people like that. They're smart enough to train their own people before they go looking for shadowrunners.
 

Double A

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Imperioratorex Caprae said:
Some days I like that guy. Other days I feel he's a person to keep a good distance from... Crazy genius in ways that scare me. The line is there and I don't know which side he stands on.
He doesn't stand on either side, or even in the middle. He's doing cartwheels up and down the line with a vuvuzela in his mouth.

Anti-American Eagle said:
PatrickJS said:
"Because the FBI will not hire anyone with a 24-inch purple mohawk, 10-gauge ear piercings, and a tattooed face who demands to smoke weed while working and won't work for less than a half-million dollars a year. But you bet your ass that the Chinese and Russians are hiring similar people with similar demands and have been for many years. It's why we are decades behind in the cyber race."
Of course the FBI aren't hiring people like that. They're smart enough to train their own people before they go looking for shadowrunners.
right because as we all know the FBI is on par with Red Samurai and has absolutely no skill problems whatsoever
 

Makabriel

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Anti-American Eagle said:
PatrickJS said:
"Because the FBI will not hire anyone with a 24-inch purple mohawk, 10-gauge ear piercings, and a tattooed face who demands to smoke weed while working and won't work for less than a half-million dollars a year. But you bet your ass that the Chinese and Russians are hiring similar people with similar demands and have been for many years. It's why we are decades behind in the cyber race."
Of course the FBI aren't hiring people like that. They're smart enough to train their own people before they go looking for shadowrunners.
Sorry, man. FastJack won't be born for another 20 years or so..
 

Ncrdrg

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I really have trouble understanding how he plans to break into that phone via social engineering. The terrorist who locked that phone is dead and the password was reset by the owner idiotically trying to get access to it on his own. So how is social engineering gonna help in this case?
 

Worgen

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Ncrdrg said:
I really have trouble understanding how he plans to break into that phone via social engineering. The terrorist who locked that phone is dead and the password was reset by the owner idiotically trying to get access to it on his own. So how is social engineering gonna help in this case?
Simple, he will go back in time and socially engineer the guy before hes dead. Think before you post.

Mcafee has been crazy for years, but hes an entertaining crazy that is good for headlines. Well, hes entertaining since hes not in this country anymore. I imagine living next to him would be somewhat less fun.
 

Kajin

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I'm not entirely convinced that John McAfee is even a real person at this point. I mean, I'm sure he was a real person at one point, but I think he's taken so many drugs he's lifted off and ascended into the realm of imagination.
 

RJ 17

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Go you crazy bastard, go! :D

....seriously though, hasn't this guy been deemed clinically insane?
 

Jeroenr

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So tel me if i get this right, He offers to hack the iPhone to prevent Apple being forced by the government to build in a backdoor.
But won't him being successful prove to the FBI they don't need the backdoor to begin with.

I have no doubt in the knowledge and skill(just about his sanity), but there a others that are just as good, and some are on the FBI (and other agencies) pay roll.
 

Mahorfeus

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I usually like being optimistic, but I have a funny feeling about this.

The FBI already has the backdoor, either because they came up with it on their own, or because Apple already gave it to them.

Apple claims that they refused to give the FBI the backdoor. They get positive press. Everybody shits on the FBI, but the FBI couldn't give less of a damn. They don't need to be liked to do their job.

McAfee knows neither of the above two things, but takes advantage of the situation. The FBI politely declines his offer, but his fans give him a thumbs up for fighting The Man.

Everybody wins!

Okay, so I'm mostly joking. This guy is crazy. Is there a movie about him yet?