FBI

FBI paid $900,000 for the tool to break into San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5c

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Just how much did the tool to break into the San Bernardino gunman's locked iPhone 5c cost US taxpayers? According to senator Dianne Feinstein, the Federal Bureau of Investigation coughed up a cool $900,000 to purchase the tool from a third-party.

The Associated Press said Monday that the classified information was revealed during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, where senator Feinstein was questioning FBI director James Comey.

“I was so struck when San Bernardino happened and you made overtures to allow that device to be opened, and then the FBI had to spend $900,000 to hack it open,” said Feinstein, D-Calif. “And as I subsequently learned of some of the reason for it, there were good reasons to get into that device.”

While the tool's vendor wasn't named, it's been speculated that the FBI bought the software from Israeli digital forensics firm Cellebrite.

Comey called the sum “worth it” even though the FBI itself said it found “nothing of real significance” after gaining access to the device.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM7X-EUTowY

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The FBI sought to protect the identity of the vendor it paid to do the work.

The organization considers the exact sum paid for the tool to be classified information, prompting The Associated Press and a few other news organizations to file a public records lawsuit seeking to force the government to publicly reveal both pieces of information.

Apple and others join Google in resisting FBI warrant seeking emails stored outside US

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 8, 2017

Business Insider reports that Apple has joined Amazon, Microsoft and Cisco in filing a joint amicus brief in support of Google's opposition to a warrant by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seeking to extract emails stored on non-US servers.

In response to the FBI warrant, a court in Pennsylvania recently ruled that Google must hand over emails stored on non-US servers. The joint filing claims the warrant could set a troubling precedent and force Google to violate foreign data privacy laws.

Cops obtain a warrant demanding individuals unlock iPhones with their fingerprint

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 17, 2016

California's top cops seem to have obtained a questionable warrant request to enter a residence and force anyone inside to use biometric information to open their fingerprint-locked iPhones purely on the assumption they'll learn more after they access the phones, Forbes reported this morning.

Deemed as “an unprecedented attempt to bypass the security of Apple's iPhones,” Forbes found a court filing in which the Department of Justice sought to search a Lancaster, California, property.

FBI considering “legal and technical options“ in a case similar to San Bernardino shooting

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 7, 2016

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) looked into “legal and technical options” for breaking into another terrorists's iPhone. Wired reports that potential prospect of a second legal showdown between Apple and the Bureau was raised in a statement issued today by the FBI.

Apple brings back security expert Jon Callas following FBI dispute

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple this month brought back software engineer and top expert in practical cryptography Jon Callas, reports Reuters. The move follows Apple's high-profile battle with the FBI, and amidst a growing war between governments and tech firms over encryption.

Callas worked at Apple in the '90s, and again between 2009 and 2011, when he designed encryption to protect data stored on Mac computers. He rejoined the company in May, to help add more powerful security features to its wide range of consumer products.

FBI paid more than $1.3 million for San Bernardino iPhone hack

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

FBI Director James Comey said on Thursday that the agency paid more to break into the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone than he'll make in the remaining 7+ years of his tenure. Reuters crunched the numbers, and that suggests that the FBI paid more than $1.3 million for the hack.

That seems like a lot of money for a tool that doesn't work on the iPhone 5s or newer, but speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in London today, the Director said that he believes it was worth it. And of course the FBI will be able to use the tool in other case involving older iPhones.

Apple says it refused Chinese demand for iOS source code

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple declined to provide Chinese officials with access to iOS source code, General counsel Bruce Sewell said on Tuesday at a subcommittee hearing on encryption. "We have been asked by the Chinese government. We refused."

Sewell said the request had come in the last two years, and noted several times that Apple has not cooperated with China on that level. Some lawmakers have questioned whether or not Apple has given the country special treatment.

FBI confirms a tool it bought to unlock terrorist’s iPhone 5c does not work on iPhone 5s and newer

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 7, 2016

James Comey, Director of the Federal Bureau of iPhones—that is, Investigation—confirmed in an interview with CNN yesterday that a tool that the agency had purchased from a third-party to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone 5c cannot be used to bypass security protections on newer models, from the iPhone 5s onward.

This implies the tool relies on the fact that the iPhone 5c and earlier models lack hardware features like the Secure Enclave embedded in Apple's mobile processors (from the iPhone 5s's A7 chip and onward) which keeps encrypted sensitive information and stuff like the number of passcode attempts isolated from the rest of the system.

DOJ unlocks San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, withdraws case against Apple

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

The Department of Justice filed a request on Monday, asking the court to vacate its order to compel Apple to assist agents in unlocking an iPhone. As expected, the FBI was able to crack the handset without the company's assistance.

The filing comes a week after the DOJ asked the court to postpone its hearing with Apple, claiming it had found a possible method for accessing the data stored on an iPhone 5c, which belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.

DOJ postpones Apple hearing, says it has possible method to unlock iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

The Department of Justice on Monday asked to postpone a court hearing set for tomorrow on the high profile case of whether or not Apple should be forced to help the FBI break into an iPhone, reports Politico. Their request was granted.

For months, the DOJ has insisted they needed Apple's help to break into the handset, as part of an ongoing terrorism investigation. Apple has steadfastly resisted, citing dangerous precedent, but the government may not need its help after all.

Apple’s event kicks off with talk of encryption battle, environmental impact, health and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Tim Cook on Monday kicked off Apple's long-awaited March media event with his usual introduction. The CEO's first announcement was that Apple now has 1 billion devices being using around the globe, and then as expected, he took a moment to briefly talk about the company's ongoing fight with the FBI over encryption.

Cook thanked everyone for their support of Apple in what he believes is one of the biggest privacy battles of our generation. He then brought up Apple's VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, to talk about Apple's progress in reducing its environmental impact. We have more highlights from the intro below.

DOJ threatened to seize iOS source code unless Apple complies with court order in FBI case

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 16, 2016

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has slid a disturbing footnote in its court filing against Apple that could be interpreted as a threat to seize the iOS source code unless Apple complies with a court order in the FBI case.

The DoJ is demanding that Apple create a special version of iOS with removed security features that would permit the FBI to run brute-force passcode attempts on the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone 5c.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has made public where he stands on the Apple vs. FBI case, which has quickly become a heated national debate.