FBI successfully hacks iPhone without Apple's help, drops case

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The question now is how the FBI managed to break into an iPhone as well as leaving many to wonder if there are vulnerabilities in the iPhone that can be exploited by the FBI or any other hacker.

FBI investigators have managed to hack the iPhone 5c which figured in their investigation of the San Bernandino shooting, the bureau did so without Apple's help.

In a filing submitted earlier the FBI said that they successfully accessed the data” on the phone. ”The government … therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple Inc. mandated by the Court’s Order” that would have required Apple to engineers to bypass basic security measures that come installed on its iPhone 5c.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook addresses ongoing battle with FBI over encryption

Stephan Lam/Reuters

Apple CEO Tim Cook started off its SE event without shying away from a hot topic. He addressed the ongoing legal battle the company has with the FBI, which is trying to extract information from an iPhone owned by one of the accused shooters of 2015’s San Bernardino attack. Cook says he owes it to their customers to protect their privacy and data. The first legal hearing of the case will happen tomorrow afternoon in a Central California District court.

Cook said during the press event, “We did not expect to be in this position at odds with our own government. We believe strongly that we have a responsibility to help you protect your data and protect your privacy. We owe it to our customers, and we owe it to our country. This is an issue that impacts all of us, and we will not shrink from this responsibility.”

Source: The Verge + ABC News

WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat reportedly working on boosting encryption

Following the ongoing battle between the FBI and Apple, it seems some tech companies are looking to boost their encryption. Reports claim the likes of WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Facebook are looking for ways to protect user data. WhatsApp is said to be preparing to offer encrypted voice calls. Back in 2014, WhatsApp brought end-to-end encryption to Android users. Now the reports claim the service will be bringing encrypted calls and group messaging to its over one billion users. Snapchat is said to be working on its own secure messaging platform, and Facebook is supposedly looking into boosting the security of its Messenger app.

Google is reported to be also putting its encrypted email technology to use elsewhere but a source claims this isn’t entirely a sure thing but it has been “an ongoing effort for a long time.” Google has to find the balance between securing data and maintaining its business model of targeting advertisements based on messages. It’ll get tricky when encryption comes to play.

Source: SlashGear

DoJ files a motion to force Apple to comply with FBI iPhone backdoor request

In response to Apple's denial to allow a backdoor access on an iPhone used in a terrorist attack in San Bernandino, the US Department of Justice has filed a motion to compel Apple to create firmware that would allow the FBI to brute force access into iPhones. Apple has three days to reply to the order.

Apple CEO Tim Cook posted a public letter this week to Apple's website explaining why creating a backdoor tool for the iPhone would set a dangerous precedent. Other technology CEOs, namely Google's Sundar Pichai and executives from Twitter and Facebook have backed Apple's stand. Apple has stressed that it has in the passed turned over subpoenaed information under request as well as allowed its engineers and their expertise to serve as consultants to various government and security agencies, however the creation of a tool that can be used to crack the encryption of the iPhone would be a dangerous precedent.

Source: 9to5Mac