To extend a lofty analogy a little further.
The rock in the god example above - If you (= god
) make it perfect, or at least, very, very good - it is a good way to tackle the underlying problem. The rock doesnt even have to be big, that helps. But if you mess up - you are stuck with it.
Even you cant lift it.
(Once its in wide distribution. Hardware revisions (you making a new rock) can fix it though.)
edit: Also: A lesson on general purpose computing. Everyone can write everything on those platforms in theory. Thats why hackers are "almost as capable as god" in our example. Hackers can be self taught, that makes it a complex problem.
(Basically no institutional control - which opens up another cans of worms.
)
What this means though is that - if you write in a "certification" mechanism, hackers can write it out, circumvent it, turn it on its head, make it post valentine greetings instead, if they find a way into the system. So whats happening now is twofold, systems are designed in many, many layers to separate the entry point from the jackpot. And the "secret" that allows you to say "you made it", is tried to be hidden in unchangeable "hardware", which is funny as well - because hackers then can just highjack the "verification attempt", if they find out how and when it takes place, and they find any exploitable flaw. Also verification takes place by exchanging key pairs, and once you know the keys you are god. Most keys can be changed. Some can not. For corps sake, btw - otherwise hackers would replace it with 00000000 or a funny phrase (DEADBEEF) instantly, or add 10 of their own, or make the mechanism play checkers with itself.
And thats general computing in a nutshell for you.
All that security and trust on todays "smart" devices basically are, are plausibility and probability contracts that get layered on top of an ultimately very malleable core. That core, and its flexibility - btw is what drove the entirety of the personal computing revolution, the smartphone age, the communication revolution, current day globalization, ...
Also the people making the most money out of it, are those that take a cut of others enginuity - by behaving as platforms, which is why "first to market" becomes that important, and why Amazon for example is big in the UBER business (
https://www.forbes.com/sites/greats...ocusing-on-a-logistics-business/#74b906d49893 ) - even if you might have not heard of it..
Someone invented the "shipping container" is the analogy to "someone invented the app (and enforcement through a closed system and rule setting through "the app store").
Hackers are able to rewrite those rules. Thats why you see them depicted in the usual stereotypes (young, hoodied, no good, no moral beatniks, outcasts... - you pick one..
).
Another thing. Apple was caught recently giving the real UBER special "californian friendship" privileges to be able to take screenshots of anyones phones, at any time. Without the users knowledge. Without it being anywhere in any permissions you grant "the app". Hackers can do the same (fundamentaly speaking), and share it with their friends. The difference between one being a corporation and the other being an individual (or a small group) is what all the bad rep they get is about.
