Security

Apple hires security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski

Apple has hired Jonathan Zdziarski, a forensics consult and security researcher who has been heavily involved in the iOS security community.

Zdziarski, who has written several books on iOS and was an outspoken supporter of Apple during its battle with the FBI last year, announced on his blog that he’s joining Apple’s Security Engineering and Architecture team to work on protecting user security and privacy.

Zdziarski said,

“I’m pleased to announce that I’ve accepted a position with Apple’s Security Engineering and Architecture team, and am very excited to be working with a group of like minded individuals so passionate about protecting the security and privacy of others.”

Earlier in his career, Zdziarski worked on jailbreaking iPhones and, in 2014, he raised the issue of backdoors in Apple products. Apple said at the time that the functions Zdziarski identified were “diagnostic capabilities.” More recently, Zdziarski developed Little Flocker, a security application for macOS.

Zdziarski’s recent blog post added:

“This decision marks the conclusion of what I feel has been a matter of conscience for me over time. Privacy is sacred; our digital lives can reveal so much about us – our interests, our deepest thoughts, and even who we love. I am thrilled to be working with such an exceptional group of people who share a passion to protect that.”