FBI Accesses San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone Without Apple

By

No one expected the San Bernardino terrorist attack to result in a court battle between the U.S. Justice Department and Apple, but that’s what happened. Apple initially refused to compromise its iPhone security in February when it went against a federal court order to introduce a backdoor into the encrypted iPhone used by Syed Farook, an attacker in the December San Bernardino mass shooting. As of Monday, it seems the situation has come to a resolution—at least for now.

According to a court filing from Monday, the Justice Department is now abandoning its bid to force Apple to unlock the iPhone in question, but only because investigators found a way to do so without the company’s assistance. In the three-sentence filing, prosecutors wrote simply that they have “successfully accessed the data” stored on the phone and therefore no longer needed Apple’s court-ordered help to do so.

While this move averts a courtroom showdown between one of the country’s biggest tech giants against the government, while avoiding setting what privacy advocates consider a dangerous precedent, there’s still some mystery as to how exactly investigators got into the phone. The FBI indicated last week that it might have found a way into Farook’s device, going so far as to mention in a court filing that “an outside party demonstrated to the FBI a possible method.” Other than that, government officials have not offered details about who proposed this method or how it would work.

Apple, meanwhile, considers this outcome a success, stating: “From the beginning, we objected to the FBI’s demand that Apple build a backdoor into the iPhone because we believed it was wrong and would set a dangerous precedent. As a result of the government’s dismissal, neither of these occurred. This case should never have been brought.”

According to a little-known process, the government must disclose the method it used to gain access to Farook’s iPhone to Apple, but it doesn’t seem likely this will occur without a fight. In fact, Mark Bartholomew, a professor at SUNY Buffalo Law School who specializes in intellectual property and technology law, told The Washington Post that he expects Apple will have to fight to learn about the methodology used to access the iPhone so the company can fix the security hole.




Edited by Stefania Viscusi
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]

Contributing Writer

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Related Articles

ChatGPT Isn't Really AI: Here's Why

By: Contributing Writer    4/17/2024

ChatGPT is the biggest talking point in the world of AI, but is it actually artificial intelligence? Click here to find out the truth behind ChatGPT.

Read More

Revolutionizing Home Energy Management: The Partnership of Hub Controls and Four Square/TRE

By: Reece Loftus    4/16/2024

Through a recently announced partnership with manufacturer Four Square/TRE, Hub Controls is set to redefine the landscape of home energy management in…

Read More

4 Benefits of Time Tracking Software for Small Businesses

By: Contributing Writer    4/16/2024

Time tracking is invaluable for every business's success. It ensures teams and time are well managed. While you can do manual time tracking, it's time…

Read More

How the Terraform Registry Helps DevOps Teams Increase Efficiency

By: Contributing Writer    4/16/2024

A key component to HashiCorp's Terraform infrastructure-as-code (IaC) ecosystem, the Terraform Registry made it to the news in late 2023 when changes …

Read More

Nightmares, No More: New CanineAlert Device for Service Dogs Helps Reduce PTSD for Owners, Particularly Veterans

By: Alex Passett    4/11/2024

Canine Companions, a nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of veterans (and others) suffering PTSD with vigilant service dogs, has debuted …

Read More