On December 2, 2015, fourteen people were killed in a terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. It consisted of a mass shooting and an attempted bombing. The perpetrators were a Pakistani-American couple who many believe were inspired by the terrorist group ISIS. They fled in a SUV which cops later caught up to. The terrorist were taken down by the police while they tried to flee. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found an iPhone 5C belonging to the gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook. They were unable to decrypt it. The phone had iCloud enabled, which would wipe the phone after 5 failed password attempts. The Department of Justice demanded Apple to create a special version of iOS with removed security features that would permit the FBI to run passcode attempts on the iPhone found on the crime scene with the hopes of cracking the phone and seeing the data. The FBI claims the phone could have evidence of a possible 3rd shooter. Apple refuses to compromise their name and security by releasing Apple users’ privacy. They don’t want to create this special “back-door” into their phones that could allow future hacks. "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers -- including tens of millions of American citizens -- from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals," the letter to the court said. Such a move would be an "unprecedented step," threatening the security of Apple's customers, it said. "No reasonable person would find that acceptable." The court hearing was set for March 22nd, however it was cancelled. The FBI and DOJ have come up with a way to unlock the iPhone without help from Apple. In a new court filing, the government said an outside party had demonstrated a way for the Feds to unlock the phone. So now, even though Apple refused to compromise its user’s privacy, the FBI still have unlocked the iPhone. The FBI is now claiming they can unlock all phones, with help from that third party, if that phone was involved in a crime. Many are asking what is to come. Will your phone be unlocked if you don’t pay a ticket? What if you’re speeding? Unlocking the iPhone may have led to the FBI discovering vital information, but it also led to them being able to unlock all phones. Who do you support; the FBI, or Apple? |
Tech >