UK push for iCloud backdoor could expose Bitcoin wallet keys, security experts warn

The UK’s order for an Apple iCloud backdoor would force access to iCloud encrypted backups for British accounts, potentially exposing crypto wallet keys stored in backups and increasing risk of brute‑force ￰0￱ should secure backup passwords and use hardware wallets to mitigate ￰1￱ legal order targets iCloud encrypted backups for British users Access to backups could enable dictionary and brute‑force attacks on wallet key ￰2￱ relies on backup passphrase strength; hardware wallets remain ￰3￱ iCloud backdoor risks crypto wallet keys in UK encrypted backups; learn protective steps and act ￰4￱ expert guidance and key takeaways. Published: 2025-10-03 | Updated: 2025-10-03 What is the UK order for an Apple iCloud backdoor?

The Apple iCloud backdoor order is a UK government demand that Apple enable access to iCloud encrypted backups for British ￰5￱ directive seeks technical capability to retrieve end‑to‑end encrypted backup data for investigations, a step critics say weakens overall security and directly threatens crypto wallet backup ￰6￱ could iCloud access expose crypto wallet keys? Many mobile wallets allow encrypted backups to iCloud, storing wallet keys or seed ￰7￱ a government or attacker obtains the encrypted backup file, they can attempt dictionary or brute‑force decryption against the backup ￰8￱ protection then depends entirely on password strength and encryption ￰9￱ experts and digital‑rights groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), warn that any backdoor or mandated access increases attack surface, heightening risks of hacking, identity theft, and ￰10￱ UK government previously issued a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) under the Investigatory Powers Act seeking such ￰11￱ Times reported the renewed, UK‑limited request; Apple earlier restricted Advanced Data Protection for UK accounts after the initial ￰12￱ do crypto advocates and privacy groups oppose the change?

Opponents argue that mandated access creates intrinsic ￰13￱ or escrowed keys often become targets for malicious ￰14￱ Buterin and other crypto community voices caution that any intentional weakening of encryption is “inevitably hackable.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation described the move as an “unsettling overreach” that diminishes user safety and ￰15￱ critiques stress that technical access for lawful purposes frequently becomes exploitable by unauthorized ￰16￱ can users protect wallet keys stored in iCloud backups? Use strong, unique backup passphrases : Choose long, random passphrases and avoid reusing ￰17￱ hardware wallets : Keep private keys off cloud backups when ￰18￱ local encrypted backups : Prefer device‑level encrypted exports stored ￰19￱ multi‑factor authentication : Protect iCloud accounts with robust 2FA where ￰20￱ account access : Audit devices and sessions linked to cloud accounts ￰21￱ wallets and apps are affected?

Several widely used mobile wallets support encrypted iCloud backups, including Coinbase Wallet, Uniswap Wallet, Zerion, ￰22￱ DeFi Wallet and ￰23￱ backups are accessible via a legal order, any wallet keys stored in those backups are potentially at risk of offline brute‑force ￰24￱ Takeaways Legal change risk : UK orders aim to allow access to iCloud encrypted backups for British ￰25￱ vulnerability : Backup file access enables dictionary and brute‑force attacks against ￰26￱ action : Strengthen passphrases, use hardware wallets, and prefer offline ￰27￱ of shirt classified as munitions under old US regulations.