Amazon anti-DDoS: Remove device encryption in the latest Fire Tablet System

Amazon anti-DDoS: Remove device encryption in the latest Fire Tablet System

 

Just as Apple and the FBI are in a fierce battle for device encryption, another tech giant, Amazon, has reversed its path and removed the device encryption feature from the latest Fire Tablet system.

User: Why can't I find the encryption function?

 

Recently, many users have found that the encryption function cannot be found after the Fire flat system is updated to Fire OS 5. According to the Amazon developer page, currently only one Fire tablet can be updated to this new system, which is the Fire HD 6 released in 2014. All Fire TV and Fire TV Stick support Fire OS 5.

This means that the local data in the device that updates the system will not be encrypted (such as the important lock screen function), so the user can either "streaking" or give up the upgrade. It is reported that this initiative affects millions of users.

Amazon response: few users use encryption

An official spokesman for Amazon explained in an email:

"In Fire OS 5 released last fall, we removed some features that are not commonly used by users. All communication information on the Fire tablet is protected by the highest level of security protection on the Amazon cloud ."

Some people are very dissatisfied and strongly question:

"The reason is too outrageous. Removing the encryption function will inevitably weaken the security of the device. The information stored on the tablet may be as sensitive as the information stored on the mobile phone or computer. Amazon should set the password to the default function instead of removing it ."

Amazon reversed the trend to cancel the device encryption function, just because no one is using it?

At present, Amazon's initiative has aroused controversy online. This is mainly because Amazon removes the device encryption function without authorization regardless of user privacy and security. This is a strong contrast with Apple's previous high-profile announcement that it wants to develop devices that cannot be decrypted by itself. Although Amazon has long been supportive of Apple's position.

Some Twitter users joked that nobody would remove the seat belt because stupid people don't fasten their seat belts.

Although Amazon provided a seemingly "perfunctory" reason, FreeBuf found several potential factors that led to Amazon's abandonment of encryption:

1,User experience first: Officially known as Amazon"Few users use encryption"At the same time, it also made an advertisement for the security of the Amazon cloud. Although users are generally dissatisfied with this, removing the device encryption function will undoubtedly prevent Amazon from falling into Apple's situation;

2,Improves Device Performance: Last year, the Android 5.0 system adopted full-disk encryption technology (FDE) to improve security. When the function is enabled, all data written to the hard disk must be encrypted and the data must be decrypted first. Soon after, Google relaxed this restriction, allowing manufacturers to decide whether to adopt it. The test data shows that the performance of the device decreases significantly when FDE is enabled. Therefore, the vendor responds coldly to this function;

3,The prelude to the password-less age: In fact, the Password is only used to identify the user. With the technology upgrade, the old password era will end. Currently, the technologies that can replace traditional passwords are mainly biometric recognition, including voice recognition, iris scanning, fingerprint scanning, palm vein scanning, digital tattoos, password pills, and brainwave authentication. Of course, these advanced technologies need to go from science fiction to practice, to security applications.

Amazon's move is still too "avant-garde", regardless of whether it can provide enough protection for user data security in terms of technology, but in terms of the recent "encryption contention, ordinary users have been "Popular Science" by Apple, and the importance of device encryption has made Amazon tired of "removing the encryption feature! (Nokia does not have so many moths)