Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire FBI And The Apple Phone

I set up my iphone 5 to erase all data and entered the incorrect passcode intentionally. I got no warning that continuing to do that would trigger the erase program.

I wonder how the FBI figured out that the phone was set up that way.

Anyone?

Previous experience maybe.

Try it 10 times and see if it really works. May not be anything at all to it, maybe urban myth.

Did it twice. not risking more than that.

I'm thinking some of the people in the FBI probably have 13-years olds who know this stuff....




......like some of us do. ("Dad, don't do that. It'll erase everything if you get it wrong too many times!" )

I don't think they do know. I think they are just afraid it does and decided to use this as an excuse to force apple to give them a back door.

Apple and the FBI have been in a ongoing battle over this security crap for about 2 years, for years they were helpful when requested to assist with information recovery, then all of a sudden started taking a hard-line stance. Think the turning point was some kind of drug case... and probably just became too often and Apple was afraid of repercussions from the public.

Phil

I don't keep track of the various versions and what their specific capabilities are...I really don't much care since I don't use my phone for anything too important other than keeping track of kids and wife keeping track of me. However, I believe I recall a recent iPhone version being upgraded to a higher, more difficult (impossible?) level of security and that was a selling point when it was announced; it had something to do with the way data is handled and where it exists, and in what form. I suspect that, though Apple has unlocked some of the earlier iPhones, that we are getting into the generations which are much tougher to crack. If this is indeed the case, then asking them to crack the security of the phone could be akin to expecting your 3-year-old to tell you the combo to the gun safe, when you left him alone with the safe when you stepped away while you were programming the new code into it. Actually, figuring out the gun safe would probably be infinitely easier.

Apple is afraid the Chinese Government is going to want to the same backdoor.

After hearing an explanation of the situation from John (?) McAfee, who offered to get anything out of the phone that the FBI wanted, I've decided that Apple is right and the government is wrong. I mean who knows less about computer security than the government.

They changed the operating system. I phone's are encrypted now.

I'm not in favor of Apple creating the technology to unlock the phone, but I have to question how much useful information is on this or any other phone. Yes phones hold confidential data, but if the F.B.I. has a warrant, they can subpoena phone call history and text messages from the cell provider, email from Google, medical records from the doctor and bank account info. So what's left to discover....a few salacious pictures? Maybe embarrassing, but I can't see much in the way of evidence of criminal activity.

It would be a first if the government requires Apple to creative a technology that undermines their own financial success. If they create a backdoor, other countries could require Apple to provide the unlock codes as a requirement to sell their products abroad. I believe New York is in the process of passing legislation that would require Apple to have technology in place to bypass encryption and I believe the US Congress isn't far behind.

This. The more detailed articles I've read make clear that they don't know what security settings exist on that particular phone and that they don't know exactly what they're looking for either.

I don't have a problem at all with the FBI getting a warrant to seize and to allow them to search a particular phone. Most companies, Apple included, want to cooperate as long as there is a warrant and it's not too burdensome. Forcing Apple to create software that undermines the very product they created is going way too far. If the Government wants to prohibit encryption technology, then it should be done by our elected Congress, not by a few judges responding to a request of the executive branch.

the most telling aspect of this kerfuffle, is that while Apple is fighting the US government, they immediately caved when the Chinese asked for the key.

China might already have it.

http://www.france24.com/en/20160219-usa-apple-plays-digital-privacy-hardball-with-fbi-but-not-china

Telling that FBI is admitting apple is smarter than their smartest.

Apple has no business doing this.

I have no personal issue with getting into a single phone due to a warrant, but to create a program that would allow into any phone, NO.

FBI has a lot wrong with it, if it doesn't have the caliber people to do this on their own.... they might should ask brother CIA....

Can do and impossible to do, that is the problem. Has nothing to do with smarts. There is no back door for them to open and no way to crack the PW without causing the device to wipe itself.

THEN, how is apple supposed to?

Apple has the source code, the FBI doesn't.

Apple are Muzzie sympathizers! They murdered 14 of our citizens!!