Apple denies FBI / US Government to unlock iPhone 5c

Earlier a US magistrate ordered Apple to help FBI unlocking an iPhone 5c. According to FBI, This iPhone belongs to San Bernardino shooter, Syed Farook.  14 people were killed in a terrorist attack in California that occurred in December.

Apple was ordered to give something to FBI that can help them to unlock the iPhone. Usually after a number of failed attempts iPhone gets erased. So Apple was asked to help them to bypass iPhone’s encryption.

As we already know, Apple started making iPhone’s security stronger from iOS 8 encrypting the data on it. Later with iOS 9, they made it even stronger to allow users to add 6 digits or custom passcode to the device.

Well, Apple has finally replied US Government as well as its customer what they are going to do in this situation.

Apple is giving priority to millions of users over 14 people that makes some sense, and doesn’t want to threatens the security of customers. Apple mentioned in an open statement that Smartphones are used to keep personal as well as secure information, and this is why encryption is needed. Making a way to bypass the encryption put all the users at risk, and they can’t do this.

Apple mentioned that they have provided them all the data they had in their possession to help FBI, but now they want something Apple doesn’t even have.

Here is what exactly Apple said

When the FBI has requested data that’s in our possession, we have provided it. Apple complies with valid subpoenas and search warrants, as we have in the San Bernardino case. We have also made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI, and we’ve offered our best ideas on a number of investigative options at their disposal.

We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone.

Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.

The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.

Apple mentioned that some people may think that making something to unlock just one iPhone may not be that hard, but once they do this, anyone with the knowledge would be able to bypass the security of any iPhone, and they can’t let this happen.