Q: Is it possible for Apple to do this?
A: If the phone were a 5S or later, then the answer is probably "no". Apple claims this, and techies agree. But the phone was a 5C. That model, and older, it may be possible. There are still hurdles, such as getting the phone to trust a firmware update without having the passcode.
Q: Does the law allow the FBI to do this? What law?
A: The "All Writs Act of 1789", 28 U.S.C. ? 1651. This is highly controversial, with many claiming that this law is nowhere near enough to compel Apple to write new code.
Q: I heard its a trick to force Apple to create a backdoor.
A: No, that's an invalid assertion. For one thing, the court order explicitly wants Apple to limit the special software for only this phone, so it wouldn't be something the FBI could use on other phones. Nor is that FBI asking for this feature to be placed on any customer owned phone, but only this one phone in their possession.
Q: Doesn't the "enclave" features stop this?
A: Not for the older iPhone 5C.
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Q: Once Apple supplies the backdoored software, how long will it take them to crack the decryption?
A: It's 80 milliseconds per guess, which is a hardware limit. We can therefore do the math:
4 digit PIN - 13.3 minutes
6 digit PIN - 22.2 hours
6 letter password - 300+ years
Q: Do we know if the 'erase' feature (after 10 failed guesses) was enabled?
A: It was a phone given by the employer, which claims erase was enabled by default.
Q: What iOS version is the phone?
A: According to the FBI, it's iOS 9.
Q: Is the FBI asking for Apple to create a custom operating-system?
A: No. They are asking for Apple to write code that would run out of RAM, without changing anything on the drive.
Q: Isn't helping the fight against terrorism the right thing to do? These terrorists killed a lot of innocent people!
A: Certainly. But the question isn't whether Apple should help in this particular case, but whether Apple can be compelled to help in all cases, even when the government is abusing it's power. And by an large, the government is abusing the powers it demanded in order to fight "terrorism".
1759 replies | 66768 view(s)
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1759 replies | 66768 view(s)
BAYTOWN, Texas --
Police say four men went to a home in Baytown to attack another man, and in the process, one suspect was accidentally shot and later died.
Just before 10pm Monday, police were called to the intersection of Tumbleweed Lane and Coyote Lane after a couple of guys were spotted unsuccessfully trying to get an injured man into a gray Impala. Officers found David Andrew Pena, 22, and determined he had been shot in the torso. Pena was taken to Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital where he died.
Detectives looking for witnesses discovered the front door of a home in the 4100 block of Tumbleweed had been forced open. They entered the home and found the body of Branyon Fehring, 23. Fehring had been shot multiple and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A nearby officer spotted a speeding gray Impala and pulled over the driver. Behind the wheel, Renaldo Cardona, 20, had blood on his clothing.
After questioning, detectives say Cardona, Pena, Tristan Fulkerson, 19; and Timothy Toulliet, 17, had gone to Fehring's home and killed him. They say that while the four were punching and shooting, Fehring, Fulkerson accidentally shot Pena in the torso. Police add the men unsuccessfully tried to get Pena into the Impala before leaving him at the crime scene.
Fulkerson, Cardona and Toulliet have been charged with capital murder and denied bond. They were transported to the Harris County Jail.
