Posted on Feb 22, 2016
How is it possible that the federal government, NSA, and FBI can't crack an iPhone, but they think Apple can?
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A federal court has ordered Apple to create a "back door" in order to access the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone. Apparently, iPhones have a feature where 10 unsuccessful password attempts zeroizes the device, and the feds "can't" figure it out. If true, this portends a dangerous weakness in capabilities. If not, the feds are attempting to force cooperation from a private company at their cost.
iPhone
FBI
Terrorism
Informational Security
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 20
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Maybe Hillary should have used an iPhone for her personal email instead of a Blackberry.
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CSM Charles Hayden
After all of this commotion, Hillary may receive an iPhone from Bill at her inauguration!
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LTC (Join to see)
Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) gets a visit from 2008's Hillary Clinton (Amy Poehler) and Sarah Palin (Tina Fey). Subscribe to the SNL channel for more clip...
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Modern encryption cannot be brute-forced (cracked by throwing every possible combination at it) by all the computing power on the planet, working in concert. It's not that the NSA or FBI can't brute-force encrypted info -- it's that no one can. The majority of encryption that gets broken these days is done by social engineering -- the pretty girl you whisper to in the bar, the idiotic secretary that writes her pw down, dumb people that use their birthdays for the pw's, etc.
Having said that, if that phone is locked with just a numeric code that's limited to what, 4-6 numbers (I've never used an iphone, so I'm not sure how it works for them), then that severely limits the number of possible iterations, and the NSA or FBI could definitely crack that -- you could with your own computer. BUT...you only get 10 shots and then it wipes. That's the problem. 3.
Having said that, if that phone is locked with just a numeric code that's limited to what, 4-6 numbers (I've never used an iphone, so I'm not sure how it works for them), then that severely limits the number of possible iterations, and the NSA or FBI could definitely crack that -- you could with your own computer. BUT...you only get 10 shots and then it wipes. That's the problem. 3.
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1SG (Join to see)
That is like a bomb with a booby trap. One simply needs to disconnect the booby trap first. I can't imagine it is that hard for highly trained experts.
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Lt Col (Join to see)
FBI wants apple to create a custom firmware
and install it using their secret certificate. The firmware will disable the 10 try rule, allow passcode to be input remotely and circumvent the 80ms delay after inputting the passcode incorrectly. The question will be who will control it? What will prevent authoritarian governments from compelling Apple to give them the code? This will not be limited to Apple, next will be Google. It's always more complicated
and install it using their secret certificate. The firmware will disable the 10 try rule, allow passcode to be input remotely and circumvent the 80ms delay after inputting the passcode incorrectly. The question will be who will control it? What will prevent authoritarian governments from compelling Apple to give them the code? This will not be limited to Apple, next will be Google. It's always more complicated
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government employees are not necessarily the "best and the brightest."
They are the ones who can navigate USAjobs.
And that doesn't mean that they possess the technical expertise to crack an iPhone.
They are the ones who can navigate USAjobs.
And that doesn't mean that they possess the technical expertise to crack an iPhone.
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1SG (Join to see)
This is the FBI we are talking about here. G-men have been using technical means to find child predators and internet thieves for decades. I suspect this is more about setting a precedent than it is about technical capability.
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MAJ (Join to see)
CSM David Heidke That's funny you think the Government is capable enough to be incapable. Almost all of the individuals are contractors not GS employees, due to the incompetency issues.
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